Islamists Boycott Jordanian Elections

Turnout above 50 percent for elections to the general assembly in the monarchy

Turnout in Wednesday's election just topped 50 per cent, the authorities said, higher than some feared after the most powerful Islamist party, the Islamic Action Front, a local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, urged voters to stay away.

But the dominance of pro-regime parties in the new assembly will damage its credibility at a time when King Abdullah is trying to manage calls for reform at home and deal with overspill from Syria's civil war on his northern border.