ASSESSMENTS

The Implications of Elections in Jordan

Jan 22, 2013 | 15:00 GMT

Jordanian Protesters from the Islamic Action Front party and other opposition parties in Amman on Jan. 27, 2012

AFP/Getty Images

Summary

The results of Jordan's parliamentary elections on Jan. 23 will be a telling indicator of the standing of King Abdullah II's regime with tribal East Bankers, Palestinian-Jordanians, and particularly with the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood, which itself is divided on how best to advance its goals.

The results will probably do little to fundamentally challenge the regime's stability, but the composition of the new parliament will help determine popular reaction to the subsidy cuts Abdullah and the parliament will have to make in order to address Jordan's economic challenges. The last time the government lifted fuel subsidies, ensuing protests called for the fall of the regime, and Jordan's ongoing economic woes weaken the regime's standing in relation to both its citizens and other countries in the region.

The results will broadly impact popular reaction to upcoming cuts in key subsidies....

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