Special to WorldTribune.com

TEL AVIV — The Hashemite kingdom has grown stronger in wake of
parliamentary elections that rejected the Muslim Brotherhood, a report said.

The Institute for National Security Studies asserted that King Abdullah
generated support through the use of social networks. In a report, the
institute said the monarch, whose supporters now dominate parliament,
pledged political reform and mobilized support for peaceful changes that
marginalized the Muslim Brotherhood.

“Preparing for the elections, the king made effective use of the
potential of social networks, which allowed a direct approach to liberal
young people who want change while maintaining stability in the kingdom,” the report, titled “The Elections in Jordan: People Want Evolution, Not Revolution,” said.

Dated Feb. 11, the report said Abdullah has garnered support among young Jordanians in the Jan. 23 elections. Authors Udi Dekel and Orit Perlov asserted that the king could augment his tribal base by stressing democracy and modernization.

“The monarchy in Jordan is expected to grow stronger if the king
correctly exploits the new trend and reinforces it with modernization and democratization processes and the creation of conditions for the emergence of a young leadership,” the report said.

Despite a Brotherhood boycott, Jordan reported a voter turnout of 56.7
percent, a four percent increase over the elections in 2010. Two weeks
before the election, the king posted two documents that outlined a roadmap
for democracy, including greater input by parliament in the selection of a
prime minister.

In an examination of the social network, the report concluded that young
Jordanians did not appear to support violent change in the kingdom. The
social network, citing Egypt, Syria and Tunisia, contained numerous warnings
of the dangers of the revolt to Jordan.

“The younger generation in Jordan is proposing a softer alternative to
the violent and bloody model of the Arab Spring,” the report said. “This
approach advocates evolution, not revolution, gradual internal changes that
do not prompt a breakdown of existing frameworks and the collapse of the
social-economic-political pyramid, which would lead to bloodshed and chaos.”

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