Monday, October 08, 2007

The IAF slate

After weeks of speculation, the IAF yesterday announced it's list of candidates for the upcoming election. It seems that the MB actually had the final word in naming the candidates, choosing 22 to run in 18 districts. The slate is dominated by the moderate wing of the party, including old timers such as Abdullatif Arabiyat (Salt) and Hamzeh Mansour (Amman second). Most analyses see the modest number of contestants and their moderate nature as a message to the state: the moderates are in control and they don't want to be perceived as a threat. A more reasonable analysis by Jamil Nimri is that this number of candidates has a better chance of winning. Some reports have suggested that the prime minister challenged the moderated during a recent meeting by dismissing their clout in the party. This challenge seems to have had an effect.

The head of the IAF, Zaki Bani Irshaid is not happy about this. He is perceived to be a hawk and has been sidelined in the selection processes. He was even hoping to run himself, but was rebuffed. Bani Irshaid was not in attendance when the IAF slate was announced. There are reports that hawks in the party are planning to work towards the failure of some of the more moderate candidates on the slate.

So, while the moderates have won the latest round, there seems to be more of a struggle on the way.

Professional wrestling, anyone?

Labels: ,

3 Comments:

At 8:28 PM, Blogger Mohanned said...

Goltak 3abd el latif benja7? I will make my calls and see:)

He will not get many votes from the arabiat, they will most likely vote fo hashem el dabbas.And marwan el 7mood is not on good terms with him..

Its gonna be interesting..I say they will get 12 seats this year..

 
At 10:41 PM, Blogger Khalaf said...

I don't think that it will be easy for him. He may be too old and too moderate for the Islamist voters. Moreover, as you point out, he may have tribal problems as well, especially if Marwan el Hmoud is against him.

As for the number of seats the IAF will win, I suspect it will be between 12 and 17.

 
At 3:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i am amazed at how pro-regime bloggers criticize the IAF as if the present regime is doing such a stellar job. we have suffered setbacks on the corruption index, freedoms index, we stagnate on the environmental index, academic performance is in constant decline, jordanians are suffering form lower wages and crushing costs of living, jordanian society is more fragmented than ever with tribalism and provincialism eating away at our social fabric, with the regime leading the charge in fostering these divisions. our stature in the arab world is declining because of the regime's dubious foreign policy. yet regime supporters attack the islamists as if the regime has such a wonderful job.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home