The council decision on July 31, by a vote of 52 to 18, represented the
results of a bitter internal election that took place in June 2010. In the
contested election, IAF's pro-Hamas faction defeated pro-government supporters by a small margin. The issues in the internal elections included
relations with Hamas as well as participation in Jordan's political system.
In 2007, the Islamic opposition sustained a major defeat when its
representation in parliament dropped from 17 to six members. The defeat led
to a shakeup in the IAF leadership and the strengthening of the pro-boycott
lobby.
IAF leaders said they voted for a boycott after the government failed to
provide adequate guarantees to ensure transparency in the forthcoming
parliamentary elections. They cited the 2007 elections, which the Islamic
opposition said was marred by fraud and vote-buying.
In May 2010, Jordan passed an electoral law that the Islamic opposition
asserted was meant against IAF. Opposition leaders said the legislation
redrew districts to increase representation in rural areas, where the
government was strongest.
"There has also been a lack of guarantees that authorities will conduct
fair elections," Abu Sukar said.
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