Jordan Islamists gain foothold in parliament
Brotherhood dropped ‘Islam is the Solution’ slogan, joined Christians in reform coalition
Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood has gained a foothold in parliament after ending a decade-long boycott and returning to the fray as the mainstay of a broad civic alliance, according to preliminary results released on Thursday.
The Islamists, easily Jordan’s biggest organised political grouping, had shunned previous elections in protest at a system that skews representation towards thinly populated rural areas dominated by tribal politics, rather than the cities, where the Brotherhood is strong.
But under pressure from a government crackdown that followed Islamist-led protests in the wake of the Arab Spring, the Brotherhood’s political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), ditched its “Islam is the Solution” slogan and joined Christians and prominent national figures to create the National Coalition for Reform (NCR).
A step to democracy
Preliminary results from Tuesday’s election indicated that the NCR had won at least 16 of the 130 seats.
Although Jordan has no ruling party, its government, appointed by King Abdullah, has for years faced little or no opposition from a parliament dominated by pro-government tribal leaders, businessmen and ex-security officials, often elected on promises to address local rather than national concerns.
Although the NCR will not be able to block legislation or cabinet appointments, it should nevertheless bring livelier debate to what has been almost a rubber-stamp assembly.
Although the vote represents a modest step in the democratisation process launched by the king as he seeks to insulate Jordan from the conflicts at its borders, the NCR is likely to use the platform to push for a more representative electoral system.
The alliance won at least one seat in nearly every major multi-member constituency, according to initial results. In the capital’s affluent third district, home to many government agencies and businesses, the alliance won three of seven seats.