Uncertainty over Jordan’s Islamists participation in elections

Partisans of the Islamic Movement during a demonstration in Amman Amman – Osama Rantissi The Islamic Movement’s stand in elections in Jordan is still unknown as conflicting statements suggest that they will either be participating or boycotting the upcoming municipal elections which take place in two months time, or the parliamentary elections at the beginning of next year.  At the same time as the Chairman of the Political Department in the Islamic Action Front, Zaki Bani Irsheed, stated that Islamists will not be taking part in the next parliamentary or municipality elections unless it was under “real and full reforms in a government elected by the people,” the Secretary General of the Islamic Action Front Party, Nemr Al Assaf will be attending a meeting with Jordan’s Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit on Saturday, as the Party’s representative seeing as the Secretary General of the party, Hamza Mansour, will not be able to attend for health reasons. Assaf said that his party had listened to the government’s point of view on reforms, and that: “we have in return told the government our points of view regarding reforms that took place in the constitution and the parties’ law and parties individually,” stressing that his party are for an electoral law which depends on a relativity list, in addition to taking equality in consideration, as well as the issues of geography and development.  Sources in the Islamic Movement suggested a joint meeting of the executive offices of the Islamic Movement and the Action Front Party in the next two days, to look into the case of participating in the municipality elections. Other sources previously stressed the importance of resolving this case before the end of this week. It is expected that the Muslim Brotherhood will be holding a session for the Shura Councill (the highest governing body in the Movement) at the end of the week. Islamists objected to the constitutional reforms suggested by the government and demanded reforms that emphasize the people as the power.  Jordan’s King Abdullah II said earlier that the municipality elections will run before the end of this year, and pointed out that the early parliamentary elections will run in the first half of 2012 according to a new elections law.
Islamists boycotted elections that took place in the autumn of 2011 in protest against the electoral law based on the principle of one vote per voter. The Jordanian House of Representatives is expected to discuss in October reforming the elections law to change the principle of one vote per voter and suggesting a two vote per voter instead.