Jordanians have apparently become more interested in their national elections this week, after images of a young female candidate were circulated on social media networks.
But some are speculating that the campaign could be a fraud.
According to her Facebook page, Lamia Dawud is running for candidacy in the governorate of Zarqa. The page “Lamia Dawud, Lawyer”, launched Monday, announces Dawud’s intention to run for candidacy in Zarqa and includes an attractive portrait of her wearing glasses in a library before the Jordanian flag.
In just twelve hours, the post received hundreds of likes and comments expressing support for her campaign. Interest jumped after a popular radio host posted his support on Facebook, and soon the hashtag #WeAreAllLamia was circulating on Twitter.
The female lawyer Lamia Doud decided to run for parliament elections in the first district in Zarqa after consultation with the election foundation. From the page of my brother Majed Dabbas, and announcing my full support for lawyer Lamia.
لازم تنجح بالانتخابات عشان نسبة حضور النواب للجلسات تزيد #كلنا_لميا pic.twitter.com/HJEXN1zBI8
— Mohannad M. Daghlas (@DaghlasM) 8 August 2016
She must win the elections to increase attendance in Parliament #WeAreAllLamia
Not all of the posts were interested in Dawud’s achievements in law and policy, however. Tweets, Facebook responses and even news articles focused on her appearance, with users praising her beauty, posting compliments and photographs of roses.
#كلنا_لميا جميلة لميا مزة
— Raneen Dabbas (@RnOMaFeMnO) 8 August 2016
Lamia is pretty. So gorgeous.
صورة سعادة النائب لميا داود مع فلتر الورد بسناب تشات رح تكون خرافية.#كلنا_لميا
— الغُراب الحكيم (@AmjadGH92) 8 August 2016
The image of Lamia would be amazing when used with roses filter in Snapchat. Like a Fairy.
However, some have shed doubt on the veracity of such a beauty’s campaign. The website Jordan Post reported that investigations into the existence of a lawyer called Lamia Dawud in Zarqa had reached a dead end: no-one by that name existed in records of practising lawyers, it said, or was known by law offices in the city.
In response, Dawud made a statement in which she neither confirmed nor denied her running for candidacy – but threatened to sue anyone spreading false information about her political ambitions.
Who is Lamia Dawud? Is she really running for candidacy? And how does she feel about the disproportionate focus on her physical attributes?
Whatever the answer, Dawud seems to have become the politician of the moment in Jordan’s election saga.
