Muslim Brotherhood makes significant gains in Jordan general election

Muhammad Amin

The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has won 32 out of 41 seats set aside for political parties in in Jordan’s parliamentary elections that are traditionally dominated by tribal and pro-government factions.

Jordanians voted Tuesday in the first general election under a new electoral law designed to allow political parties to play a bigger role in the 138-seat parliament.

The revamped law is meant to moderate the tribal hold on power, although the parliament remain in the control of tribal, centrist and pro-government members.

IAF officials said it was performing even better in local elections, saying it is leading in many governorates, most notably the capital Amman, where it said it won all the quota seats.

Etaf Roudan, a Jordanian journalist, told Middle East Eye that the results were largely expected.

“Since the election announcement, and even before that, they forged alliances and activated them with influential tribal and societal forces.”

The gains are unprecedented in the party’s history and reflect the current “street” mood in Jordan, where many citizens are directly affected by Israel‘s war in Gaza.

Just two days before polling day, a Jordanian gunman, Maher al-Jazi, killed three Israeli guards at the country’s Allenby border crossing with the West Bank, in the first such attack since the 1990s.

Murad al-Adaileh, secretary-general of the Islamic Action Front, said Jordanians had throwng their weight behind the party due to its excellent performance in the previous parliament and its opposition to the Gaza genocide.

The Muslim Brotherhood has led large protests in Jordan, half of whose population is of Palestinian origin, in support of the Palestinians and Hamas, boosting itspopularity.

“The next House of Representatives must be robust in confronting the extreme Israeli right, which may, in the future, align with the extreme American right if Trump wins the US elections,” Adaileh said.

“Voters are also seeking solutions to economic problems and a shift from the current approach, which has led to higher unemployment and poverty rates, pushing Jordanian youth to emigrate abroad.”

Jordan’s economic woes have been compounded by the genocide on the kingdom’s tourism sector and a public debt is tickling $50bn. Meanwhile, unemployment hit 21 percent in the first quarter.

Despite the IAF gains, the elections were marked by widespread voter apathy with a mere 32% turnout.

Results are expected to be declared Wednesday evening.