The biggest opposition party in Jordan has closed its offices in protest at government policies

In a move unprecedented in Jordanian politics, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), which is regarded as the biggest opposition party, has taken the initiative to shut down its general secretariat offices in the capital Amman. “The offices are closed in protest against the methodical harassment and alienation that the government is exercising against the party,” said a huge banner outside the building.

According to Muhammad Awwad Al-Zuyud, the Secretary General of the IAF, the decision was made within the context of the party’s protest against the decline in public freedoms and the lack of respect shown by the government to the parties, which are the main ingredients of political life in Jordan. This is in addition to the harassment noted in the banner.

In an exclusive statement to Arabi 21, the IAF secretary general said that the outgoing government has taken unprecedented steps against the party, including the closure of its main offices in Aqaba, Karak, Mafraq and Sahab. He noted that the Jordanian government banned it from engaging in national activities and took action to thwart such activities, as happened with the anti-drugs campaign. This was not all. Al-Zuyud stressed that the government targeted the IAF to the extent of denying its members and their relatives the right of employment in state institutions.

“Security summonses for party cadres did not stop at confiscating members’ passports and travel bans,” said Al-Zuyud. He mentioned the storming of the general secretariat offices and the attempted arrest of those inside. The government apologised and claimed that this was a mistake; the target was supposed to be “another place”. This was an act previously unheard-of in Jordan’s political life.

The latest example of harassment by the government, explained the IAF official, is the banning of a planned Ramadan fast-breaking event. The party was surprised to learn that it needed a permit from the regional governor authorising the use of the venue; the governor refused to issue one.

“After all of this,” he asked, “how can there be talk about participation, political life and the development of party politics?”

Al-Zuyud stressed to Arabi 21 that the party has called on its Shura Council to take a stand against the government and its harassment. The IAF, he added, has commissioned a legal team to file lawsuits against the government because what it is doing contravenes the constitution and the law. It has appealed to King Abdullah to intervene and put an end to the injustice and arbitrary actions of the government against one of the main parties in Jordanian politics.

The secretary general of the IAF concluded his statement by stressing that Jordan is passing through tough circumstances in a region inflamed by armed conflict. This, he said, requires both the government and the opposition to be standing firm together in order to be delivered from such crises. He pointed out that the party leadership has been in constant communication with current as well as previous government officials but is yet to receive positive responses.

Former MP Ali Al-Snaid called the decision to close the offices a “black spot” in Jordan’s political history. “The outgoing government has scorched the Jordanians with its flames politically, socially and economically,” he told Arabi 21.

He insisted that the government of Abdullah Al-Nsour spared no one, and that it distributed the burden over all citizens. It is, he claimed, a government of depression, frustration, desperation and hopelessness which has destroyed the dreams of Jordanians.

Al-Snaid pointed out that the Islamic Action Front is one of the largest victims of government policies and that the campaign against the party today is part of a plan to punish all who were active during the Arab Spring, when they demanded political change and reform. The former Member of Parliament denounced the manner in which the deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, Zaki Bani Irshaid, was prosecuted and how the group was targeted and its ranks torn apart prior to it being stripped of its legitimacy.

“Arab Spring activists have been detained and a series of laws have been introduced which, if enacted, will lead to incriminating political action,” said Al-Snaid. “Such a thing will have its repercussions, including the loss of hope in political life and the loss of hope in change and reform.”

He expressed his wish that the new government will put things right, remove the depression and suffering endured by Jordanians and initiate dialogue with political groups, foremost among them the Islamic Action Front. This is necessary, he said, in order to reassure everyone that Jordan’s moderate approach is still ongoing as a state with institutions that represent a balanced political model, which everyone has the duty to safeguard.

Warning the government against pursuing the same approach and the same policies, Al-Snaid said that this would mean that Jordan has a dictatorship that is hiding behind democratic institutions. He suggested that this could lead to an “explosion” on the streets.

Translated from Arabi21, 30 May, 2016.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.