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Muslim Brotherhood to Boycott Jordan Elections
August 4, 2010
By: Benjamin Russell | Printer Friendly

The Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), announced this week that it would boycott parliamentary elections set for November 9, according to the Associated Free Press. A spokesman for the IAF said the party would withdraw their candidates over fears the election would be unfairly skewed in favor of pro-government forces.  The IAF is Jordan’s largest opposition party.

Citing inconsistencies in the country’s last elections in 2007, Zaki Bani Rasheid, a senior member of the IAF’s executive committee, told reporters that the party would not risk participating in another fraudulent contest.

The IAF won only 6 of 22 contested seats in 2007 after taking 17 of 22 seats in 2003.  Following their poor performance in 2007, the IAF claimed that the government purchased votes and manipulated voting districts to favor their candidates.

“There will be no independent body to monitor the election and we are not optimistic that the government will carry out some reforms and manage the process properly,” said Bani Rasheid. “After fraud and vote buying in municipal and parliamentary elections in 2007, boycotting this year's poll is the right thing to do.”

The IAF is also concerned about a new election law that apportions parliamentary seats by district, rather than population, giving rural constituencies of as few as 3,000 people the same presence in parliament as that of larger, urban constituencies of up to 90,000.  The IAF and other Islamist movements draw a majority of their support from urban centers, and the IAF believes a one person, one vote system would more fairly distribute political power.

The Overall Leader for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hammam Said, says the IAF decision to boycott the election could change if the Jordanian government addresses their concerns.  “We do not work arbitrarily and the door is not closed,” said Said.  “What we need is a genuine desire for change, not only talks for the sake of talks.”

Elections Spokesperson Samih Maaytah responded that the government would not entertain the IAF’s demands and initiate a “futile dialogue.”
“The government is currently in the final stage of preparations for the polls and cannot review the law to appease the Islamist movement or any other party,” said Maaytah.  “The integrity of the elections is guaranteed by the law, which bans vote buying and puts in place other measures to make sure the elections are conducted in a fair and free manner. Moreover, the elections will be observed by the National Centre for Human Rights and other organizations, which can report any irregularities.”

King Abdullah II dissolved what was seen as an inept and inefficient parliament late last year, prompting November’s vote.  It was the second time the king had dissolved parliament since coming to power in 1999. 

Sources:

Jordan Times – Islamists Outline Demands for Participation in Polls

AFP – Islamists to Boycott Jordan Elections

Jerusalem Post – Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood to Boycott Elections