Deputy Ahmad Safadi won the presidency of the Jordanian Parliament in the recent elections, competing against the candidate of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the Muslim Brotherhood’s political wing, Saleh Al-Armuti. Safadi achieved a landslide victory, receiving 98 votes compared to 37 votes, out of a total of 138 members of the Parliament, with two votes being voided as they were not cast for either candidate. In his speech after winning the presidency, Safadi delivered a subtle message aimed at the Muslim Brotherhood, saying: “There is no loyalty or affiliation except to the King, and no agenda other than Jordan. This nation, with its King, people, and land, is the constant that must be defended with our souls and blood.” He further added, “There will be no voices opposing the state under the dome, but rather voices of parties opposing government policies. We will not accept or allow any questioning of the nation’s accomplishments.” He called on Prime Minister Jaafar Husan to cooperate with the MPs to implement the contents of King Abdullah II’s speech during the opening of the first session of Parliament.
Observers considered that Al-Armuti’s gaining only six votes outside his parliamentary bloc, representing the Islamic trend, after the presidential election results, is a sign of their declining popularity in Parliament and the isolation they will face. Following the elections, King Abdullah II tasked Jaafar Husan, the Director of his office, with forming a government that included representatives from various political parties, excluding the Muslim Brotherhood, and the newly formed Senate was free of any members associated with the Brotherhood.
Political activists and parliamentary observers confirmed that the Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc failed to build sufficient alliances to support its candidate, only managing to garner six additional votes from outside its bloc. This points to a decline in their ability to attract support within Parliament. As a result, the Islamic Action Front’s bloc emerged empty-handed from the leadership positions in Parliament, failing to secure the vice-presidency, while a broad parliamentary alliance effectively displaced them. Amid Jordan’s security and political challenges due to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon, voices from local political currents and quasi-official elites are calling for curbing the influence of the Brotherhood and ending the strategic patience toward them. This comes after accusations that the group has caused internal divisions and adopted an anti-state rhetoric, as well as political interference in Jordanian diplomacy to pressure the government into making emotionally driven decisions regarding Jordan’s balanced role in Gaza.
However, there is also an opinion that the general opposition trend in Parliament has been weak for years, not just the Brotherhood. This is especially true with the current Parliament, which leans toward the loyalist camp, and the growing role of independent MPs who now wield greater influence in decision-making than ever before. This makes it more difficult for the Brotherhood to navigate under the dome, as they intend to challenge several issues, particularly the Wadi Araba peace agreement and the energy and water deals with Israel. For its part, the Islamic Action Front intends to raise several sensitive issues in future parliamentary sessions that are expected to cause conflicts with the government. These include re-examining all normalization agreements with Israel, amending the parliamentary bylaws, and revising several laws, such as the Real Estate Ownership Law, which has sparked controversy due to fears of Israeli property leaks, as well as amendments to the Cybercrime Law and the Anti-Terrorism Law.
Observers also note that among the issues likely to escalate tensions between the Brotherhood and the government are calls to reopen the Teachers Syndicate file, which was shut down by a court ruling due to accusations that it was infiltrated and controlled by the Brotherhood. Other files that may be brought up include the Quran Preservation Society, which the Brotherhood controls, and the Islamic Center Society, which has long been the financial backbone of the Brotherhood, managing an empire worth hundreds of millions of dinars before it was dissolved due to financial violations and government management.
