Jordan's Islamists, buoyed by anger over Gaza, seek to shake up parliament at polls

By Suleiman Al-Khalidi

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's main opposition, buoyed by anger over the Gaza war, says it expects its Islamists to win enough seats in Tuesday's election to loudly challenge the country's pro-Western stance, a result that could stir up the kingdom's staid political scene.

The opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, says its voice is needed in the assembly to help reverse unpopular economic policies, stand up to laws curbing public freedoms and oppose further normalisation with Israel, with which Jordan has a 1994 peace treaty.

"It's enough that there is a significant bloc that is able to influence public opinion and the general political scene," Murad Adailah, the head of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood and an ideological ally of the Palestinian group Hamas, told Reuters.

In a country where anti-Israel sentiment runs high, the Gaza war is expected to help the electoral fortunes of the IAF, which is Jordan's largest opposition party and has led some of the region's biggest rallies backing Hamas.

Hundreds took to the streets of Amman to celebrate on Sunday, hours after a gunman from Jordan shot dead three Israeli civilians at a border crossing in the occupied West Bank.

The IAF, fielding only 38 candidates for the 138-seat assembly, is unlikely to unseat the tribal, centrist and pro-government deputies who dominate a system under-representing cities, where their Islamist and liberal opponents do best.

But the Islamists, who have angered the authorities with demands to abrogate the peace treaty and end commercial ties with Israel, are urging supporters to go out and vote to show their opposition to Israel's offensive in Gaza.

"Today what is happening in Gaza is an existentialist battle and neither the Jordanian or Islamic movement can be bystanders. The voice of the Jordanian street was heard and influential," Adailah said in an interview on Monday

He said the Jordanian state needed a strong parliament more than ever, arguing that a vocal IAF parliamentary presence could strengthen Jordan's ability navigate, and if necessary stand up to, any pressures it might face from Israel and Western allies.

Adailah was echoing sentiments by many Jordanians across the political spectrum, who fear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government seeks a wider war in which Palestinians in the occupied West Bank could be pushed out to Jordan.

VOTING SYSTEM FAVOURS TRIBAL AREAS

The IAF is contesting the polls despite its reservations at a voting system they feel is biased against it. They are demanding even broader political representation following changes introduced under an electoral law passed in 2022.

"The law is not up to our ambitions but it presents a recipe for gradual political reforms," Adailah said, referring to the law that for the first time directly allocates 41 seats for over 30 licensed and mostly pro-government parties.

Officials say the vote is a milestone in a democratization process launched by King Abdullah paving the way for political parties to play a bigger role.

The results -- due within 48 hours of polls closing -- are expected to keep parliament in the hands of tribal and pro-government factions which are powerless to make deep changes. 

Nevertheless, the elections could see the Islamists shaking up Jordan's bland political scene, analysts said.

"We expect a significant bloc from these elections provided we are left without a direct and blatant interference in the ballot box," Adailah said, without being drawn into exactly how many seats they expect to capture. 

The party, whose slogan is "With Islam we protect the nation", says the authorities have used clan pressure to persuade tens of IAF candidates to drop out of the race.

"This hurts our chances," Adailah said.

Now, the vote will test the Islamists' grassroots support, politicians and analysts say. Most other candidates with limited political agendas have focused their campaigns on economic conditions such as unemployment, public services and inflation.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi, Editing by William Maclean)