AMMAN (AFP) – 20 Sep. 2016- Jordanians go to the polls Tuesday .

Around 4.1 million voters — from a population of 6.6 million — are to pick 130 lawmakers from 1,252 candidates for a four-year mandate.

The polls are scheduled to open at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and close 12 hours later.

Seats have been set aside for 15 women, nine Christians and three representatives of the Circassian and Chechen minorities.

Businessmen and tribal officials loyal to the monarchy are expected to emerge the biggest winners.

The country’s highest religious authority, Dar al-Iftaa, issued a fatwa, or religious edict, calling voting a national and religious duty.

It also warned against fraud and vote buying, a common practice in past elections.

Jordan’s electoral commission head said the polls would be conducted in accordance with international standards. The polls will be monitored by 14,000 local observers and 676 from abroad, including 66 sent by the European Union.

The vote comes as Jordan wrestles with stubbornly high unemployment, fears of a spillover from the wars in neighbouring Syria and Iraq and the burden of hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees.

The interior ministry said 50,000 policemen have been mobilised to ensure security at polling stations