The Muslim Brotherhood in the 1989 Jordanian Elections

Russell E. Lucas

The 1989 Jordanian elections saw a plurality of Islamic activists elected to the Parliament. This paper discusses the electoral success of members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. A strong legal organization enabled the Brotherhood's candidates to defeat others who ran individually. The failure of leftist and Arab-nationalist candidates along with popular distrust of pro-government candidates also aided in the Muslim Brotherhood's success. However, the popular acceptance of the Muslim Brotherhood's political agenda proved to be a key factor in this election. The paper concludes that although the Muslim Brotherhood realized some of its potential strength in the 1989 elections, the constellation of factors contributing to their success will probably not be repeated.

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