• BACKGROUND Elections In Jordan Are Seen As Way To Blow Off Steam HELEN DAVIS Foreign Correspondent ordan's King Hussein is hoping to give his subjects the opportuni- ty to blow off some steam when they go to the polls on Nov. 8, their first such outing in 22 years. The elections are not so much a mark of the king's sudden conversion to democratic ideals as a response to the rising tide of political and religious dis- sent, laced with deep economic woes. The precariously balanced monarch was given an in- timation of the mortality last April when thousands of his subjects — two-thirds of whom are Palestinians — embraced the tactics of their brothers across the Jordan River and launched a mini- intifada. The violence was sparked by a series of International Monetary Fund-induced fiscal measures, which in- volved price hikes of up to 50 percent on a wide range of goods and services, aimed at helping Jordan to pay off its $5.4 billion foreign debt. By the time order was restored, at least 11 people were dead, scores more were wounded, hundreds were in jail and the Gucci kingdom — so called because of the designer lifestyle of the king and his glamorous American consort — had lost much of its glitz. Hussein, who has ruled Jordan for 37 of his 55 years with a mixture of cunning and guile, moved swiftly to shift the blame for the economic malaise — as well as talk of corruption and mismanagement — away from the royal palace. He rescheduled Jordan's debts, replaced his hapless prime minister (and boyhood friend) Zaid al-Rifai with the lackluster armed forces chief, Field Marshal Sharif Zaid Bin Shaker, and an- nounced the November elec- tion date. This was followed by the hasty flight into exile of a number of key Jordanian of- ficials, notably the head of the national airline, the chief of police and the head of the Petra Bank, a major financial institution in Jor- dan. Nor was the king able to halt the precipitous fall in j DON'T LET HOUSEHOLD PESTS HOLD YOU HOSTAGE! CALL THE ERADICO PROFESSIONALS! Eradico's safe and proven methods keep your home free of insects, rodents and other pests. Trust Eradico for an honest assessment of your needs and dependable, affordable service. Cockroaches • Ants • Fleas • Bees • Hornets • Wasps • Rats • Mice and any other pests. For a FREE inspection and estimate, Call Today! 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"After the riots, it was im- portant for Hussein to dem- onstrate his efforts to democratize the system and to open up more channels of expression," according to Professor Asher Susser, head of the Tel Aviv Univer- sity's Center for Middle East Studies. "A major complaint in Jordan has been a sense of denial of freedom," he said. "The elections will provide partial compensation for this. "After his disengagement from the West Bank, it is also important for Hussein to strengthen the legitimacy of the Hashemite throne by a democratic process." Many observers, however, believe that the appearance of democracy is illusory, and few Jordanians are seriously persuaded that they are about to start charting their own destiny. "The elections mean nothing," said one Jorda- nian businessman. "Nothing has changed. What matters is that something should be done to give the people jobs and give them something to live on. Otherwise there will be another explosion." Indeed, the sense that the elections are merely a sham designed to distract atten- tion from the real problems and buy time is reinforced by the condition under which they are being conducted. Political parties are bann- ed, so the 652 candidates for office are contesting the 80 parliamentary seats as "independents." Public meetings are prohibited, television and radio are for- bidden to report on the cam- paign, and martial law re- mains in force. Moreover, the constituen- cies have been carefully weighted to favor the villages, where Hussein en- joys most support, at the ex- pense of the towns and cities, where his support is doubt- ful. In matters of substance, the newly elected parlia- ment will essentially act, like it has in the past, as an overblown city hall. The king will continue to reserve the right to choose the prime minister and to control all matters relating to foreign affairs and defense. Parliament will be given additional powers to deal with the economy, but these powers are unlikely to be sufficient to allow it to in- vestigate excesses and cor- ruption, which are said to reach deep inside the royal palace. King Hussein has taken a risk in allowing his people even this very limited in- volvement in this very lim- ited display of democracy. The decision to hold elec- tions in response to the April riots is clearly seen as a sign of weakness and could prove to be the catalyst for further unrest if popular expecta- tions are not fulfilled. Hussein, meanwhile, has carefully hedged his gamble and nothing —including the election results themselves — are regarded as being ir- revocable. In a television address earlier this month, the king warned hss people not to vote for those who espouse