التصويت الأبيض...! مدونة محمد عمر

[Mohanned]

Read the post here.

Voice your opinion and make some suggestions.

[Zeid abu-Odeh]

This will diversify they goal and spread it to pieces . Let's identify the goal first. The mess happened when the election law was forced on the people so we are saying no to the election law by voting white.

خلّي صوتك ابيض
تحمل نوع من الصدق كمطلب شعبي بالانتخابات...اعتقد واضحة الفكرة

[Zeid abu-Odeh]

هذا المقال للدكتور ارحيل الغرايبة قد يفيد بالنقاش
أكبر نكتة في تاريخ الأردن المعاصر
http://www.jordandays.tv/ArticleDetails.aspx?Aid=4203

[Zeid abu-Odeh]

mohomad Omar just called me he is waiting the approval from Urdun Mubdi3 to join in!!
meanwhile here's something he wrote to answer some questions from his post

بداية اشكركم
- موضوع التوصيت الابيض مهم جدا لتجريك تعبئة الناس للاهتمام بحقوقها ووقف موضوع عدم المبالاة. يعني مهم بالنسبة لتحريك الناس.
- هي جزء من حركة معارضة الانتخابات وابقاء الموضوع مثار دوما.
- لا تستطيع الحكومة او غيرها انكار الاصوات البيضاء او اخفائهالان العد يجب ان يكون واضحا وبالامكان في حال اخفاء العد اللجوء الى القضاء وفي كل الاحوال هي مرة اخرى جزء من ابقاء المعارضة في حراك دائم ضد القانون والانتخابات. لان المقاطعة السلبية تنتهي تقريبا وينتهي وهجها بمجرد اتخاذ قرار المقاطعة.
- لن تستطيع لجان الفرز ان تتلاعب بالاوراق البيضاء خاصة ان المرشحين لهم مراقبين وهناك مراقبين من منظمات المجتمع المدني وقد يكون هناك مراقبة دولية.
- الانتخابات مزورة نعم بحكم القانون، وقد تقوم الحكومة بتزويرها من خلال الاجراءات وان كنت استبعد ذلك لان المطلوب برلمان "نزيه" ولكن ضعيف لتمرير الاستحقاقات القادمة. لكن تزوير الانتخابات الذي هو عادة في البلد لا يجب ان يؤدي الى المزيد من عزوف الناس عن الانتخابات بل الاحسن ان تكون هناك حركة تقول للحكومة وراس الدولة والمجتمع الدولي ان الاردنييين معنيين بحقوقه وممارسة هذه الحقوق ومبالين بالانتخابات ونتائجها.
- اذا كانت الحكومة لن تسال عن الورقة البيضاء فهي لن تسال في المقاطعة ايضا لكن الورقة البيضاء تبقى تعبير عن الرفض وتعبير عن مبالاة الناس بحقوقهم.
- نسبة التصويت ليست مهمة كثيرا في الدول، المهم ان يخرج برلمان مشكوك في تمثيله للناخبين الذين ادلى اكثرهم بورقة بيضاء، يعني لو ان الورقة البيضاء صارت حركة وشائعة وزادت نسبتها فان البرلمان سيكون مشكوك في مدى تمثيله.
- المهم اخيرا ان التصويت والورقة البضاء ستعني اننا مبالين بحقوقنا ولسنا سلبين او لسنا نفضل العطلات والرحلات على ممارسة حقوقنا.
تحياتي

[Mohammad Omar]

مرحبا
اخيرا تمكنت من التسجيل
زيد لغتي الانكليزية ماشي الحال بقدر اقرا منيح بس ما بقدر اكتب منيح فنترك الشباب على راحتها
على كل زيد نقل ردي
وهذا موضوع التصويت الابيض الهدف منه في البداية هو تحريك الناس دفعها للخروج من االلامبالاة
وهذا اذا استطعنا انجازه نكون قد اوصلنا رسالة ان الاردنيين معنيين بحقوقهم

[Ahmad Humeid]

What I find unbelievable is that a society of the size, diversity and relative sophistication of Jordan still has not been able to give birth to organized political movements around needs, interests and socio cultural agendas, the exception being, of course, the Islamists.

Here we are, wanting to launch a "White Ballot" movement to protest a law that isn't producing good candidates or movements.

Just to be clear: I think the white ballot is a legitimate form of protest, and, in light of the stoppage of any real political reform in the country, might be a logical and honorable choice.

But I'd also like to share a personal story.

Around 1993, I was a student of the University of Jordan, Faculty of Engineering. At the time the Islamists dominated almost 100% of all student council seats. I was among a group of friends who represented a mix of ultra-liberals, liberals, leftists and mild conservatives. We shared a belief in pluralistic democratic values and where really annoyed by the Islamists policies especially when it comes to student activities (segregation of sexes, inviting only "islamic" speakers to lectures, etc, etc).

So we decided to run for elections (I didn't personally run, but was very involved in this). We started by writing critical articles in the student newspaper, which helped define our group's agenda and political identity.

Then at election time, we had the best posters and pamphlets with strong messages. We confronted the Islamists head on in debates (at one point, one of their candidates raised the Quran in our face!). We played the election game. We contacted people. We paid attention to tribal and religious affiliation. Etc. That was all BEFORE the net and facebook.

By some estimates, we won 30% of the vote. We couldn't win any of the 8 seats because the "law" didn't recognize blocks but gave the seats to the individuals with the highest votes.

But winning 30% or so approval showed that a small political student movement, born in a few months, was able to shake things up for a couple of years. End of my story..

Why can't a block of progressive, democratic and open minded be found, encouraged to run, sharply branded, advertised and presented in meetings with citizens. Can't we learn something from the Lebanese "Independence05" movement? Imagine voters in Amman and other cities waking up tomorrow to find Amman and Facebook and the news sites covered with yellow posters and banner with "Al-taghyeer Al-ijabee" and some sharp slogans that touch their lives, instead of boring white banners with slogans like "No to unemployment".

In the end, I might go with a white ballot. But I still find it surprising that a coordinated movement, bringing democratic/undogmatic left, with liberals and some open minded moderates cannot be brought together and promoted.

[Mohammad Omar]

صباح الخير
اشكرك احمد
حركة التصويت الابيض ان قيض لها النجاح كحركة المهم فيها اولا تحريك الناس ودفعهم للاهتمام بحقوقهم والبعد عن عدم المبالاة.
لا اتوقع ان تحقق الحركة اهداف كبيرة لكنها خطوة هدفها اساسا جمع كل الناس المعترضين على القانون والانتخابات واظهار التزامنا بالمواطنة وحقوقنا

[Zeid abu-Odeh]

the "white ballot" movement could be a beginning to what you wish. The question is do we have time to establish it ? Luckily we have FB and Twitter ...etc I'm glad you feel it is "logical and honorable choice" I'm trying to rally some supporters from the opposition side and I should be able to get some results today

[Mohammad Omar]

لا زال امامنا وقت طويل الانتخابات ستجري في شهر 11 والمهم ان نبدأ
لا نتوقع تحقيق نتائج كبيرة في هذه الانتخابات لكن قد يصبح تقليدا مع الزمن وجزء من حركات الاحتجاج البعيدة عن التحزب والعصبية مثل حركة ذبحتونا
تحياتي

[Deena Dajani]

Just a question; does the government actually reveal how many people vote with a white ballot?
If I remember correctly after the November 2007 elections the government revealed how many votes each candidate in a given constituency received, but not the total number of voters who took part (for some constituencies they revealed percentages of voters from those registered, but the information wasn't "out there") . If so, the 'impact' of voting with a white ballot will not have the desired effect simply because it will not be obvious....

Maybe we should ask the PM on twitter to add "No candidate" and "null votes" listings in every constituency. This will make the elections more transparent (which is what they have promised us) and allow more visible indicators of voting patterns; white ballots get counted as "no candidate" and other random things people write on ballot papers (Allah, al-Qur'an, ana) become "null" but are nevertheless counted .... now imagine the impact when the announced results in the papers include the number of white votes as well as votes for the candidates, especially if white votes manage to surpass the latter.

[Nadine Toukan]

So the Muslim Brotherhood are voting to boycott the elections it seems. That's not in their favor and will achieve absolutely nothing. Someone needs to go have a talk with them and campaign for the Blank Ballot if they are truly adamant about their boycott. Boycotts are the status quo. Change that, you change everything. They want to take a stand, they should vote blank.

[Zeid abu-Odeh]

White/blank ballot unfortunately is not getting any positive response from anyone except us. I've spoken with a few people representing different parties and societies they all agreed that if you vote White that means you approve of the elections but don't approve of the candidates So....

[Nadine Toukan]

Decisions are made by people who show up. Keep talking and grow the awareness. People are apathetic because there are no inclusive debates going on and are too jaded from the past. Don't give up.

If not, and if people sit this one out, don't exercise their right to chose upon merit, allow themselves to be bought, we will get the parliament we deserve that will reflect exactly such traits, and we will be back here again with another dissolved parliament coz they under performed and frustrated the country so will be asked to go home. And we will have this conversation again, on another page somewhere, sometime.

There must be ways to change the DNA of attitudes.