Islamists receive heavy blow at teachers’ syndicate polls

AMMAN — Islamists and their independent allies lost the presidency and vice presidency of the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) in its third session after its establishment in 2011, poll results showed on Wednesday.  

Later in the evening, it was announced that the Professional Current for Reform won 11 of the other 13 seats of the council, while two swats went to Islamists. 

The “Professional Current for Reform” bloc’s candidate Basil Freihat won elections as the syndicate’s president after garnering 159 votes, according to Sami Salaitah, head of the higher committee of the JTA central elections.

Freihat's opponent, Qasim Masri, from the Islamist-dominated “Teacher Bloc” earned 147 votes in the race, Salaitah noted, as quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Salaitah also announced that the Professional Current's Ibrahim Shabanah was elected JTA vice president after receiving 163 votes, compared to 149 votes earned by his contestant, Ibrahim Hamid.

The higher committee closed the voting 30 minutes before the scheduled time (3pm), because the turnout reached 100 per cent after the 316 teachers from the JTA's central body, whose members were elected in all JTA branches two weeks ago, cast their ballot. 

Teachers cast their ballot papers in three boxes, one was allocated for electing the president, the second for vice president and the third for JTA council members, Petra reported.