US embassy cable - 03AMMAN2822

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002822 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PHUM, SOCI, JO 
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC ACTION FRONT ANNOUNCES LIST OF 29 
CANDIDATES FOR PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm.  Resons 1.5 (B) and (D) 
 
1.(C) The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of 
the Muslim Brotherhood, published on May 12 its list of 29 
candidates running in the June 17 parliamentary elections. 
Press reports called the list "surprising" because of the 
number of new faces on the list at the expense of veteran, 
better known names from the past.  Embassy contacts believe 
that the emergence of the IAF's "new breed" of politicians is 
a sign of an internal struggle between the younger and older 
members within the IAF, and evidence that the new generation 
may be gaining an upper hand within the organization. 
 
2.(C) Another cause for surprise is the inclusion of only one 
female candidate, unusual when considering that Jordan's 
Elections Law for the first time sets aside six seats in the 
new parliament for women.  Embassy contacts expected the IAF 
to have fielded more female candidates in various lightly 
populated and conservative districts  to increase their 
chances for capturing these new seats.  The new female quota 
will award seats to the six female candidates who receive the 
highest percentage of votes cast.  A number of local 
political observers are now saying that the IAF may have a 
number of "stealth" female candidates who will run as 
independents, rather than formally under the IAF banner. 
GNEHM