Jordan needs electoral law reform, says Brotherhood deputy

Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood deputy leader Zaki Bani Rsheid urged the Jordanian government to withdraw its embassy from Damascus in a bid to cut all formal relations with the Syrian government while contributing to the regime’s isolation while recognizing the Syrian National Council and increasing the Syrian opposition’s mobility, garner support and raise money.

In an interview with Al Arabiya, Rsheid acknowledged these actions’ repercussions on Jordanian security, but said his country is proud to have security service that controls the situation and preserve safety, saying it won’t succumb to the Syrian regime.

“This is a natural situation when coming in accordance with the democracy, the results of the ballot box and the people’s will. The experience taught us that exclusion is the worst kind of rule,” Rsheid responded to comments, stating the Brotherhood crescent’s completion will happen when the Syrian regime collapses.

Rsheid declared independence from any other Muslim Brotherhood groups’ influence.

“The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood believes the experience of Jordan’s brotherhood is advanced and does not need to imitate the experiences of others.”

The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood arrived at Beirut recently to meet with a committee formed by the international organization for the Muslim Brotherhood to try restoring relations between peacemakers and perpetrators after accusing each other of using political money during last May’s elections.

Rsheid said there was media amplification reaching several sides and ranks. He added there were many people who tried keeping an eye on the Islamic movement’s cohesion in Jordan, including the guidance office. He also ensured by explaining that the only council that can consider and interfere in Jordan’s internal problems is the Shura Council, adding that the body has formed a committee to investigate all that was said, discovering no political funding.

“The experience of the Jordanian Brothers is really independent and advanced especially that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood had advised us in 2010 to participate in the elections and we advised them to boycott it in Egypt; the result was that our point of view is correct,” he said.

He denied claims of Jordan’s brotherhood receiving advice from its Egyptian counterpart on whether they should participate or boycott the upcoming elections due to nation’s “one vote” electoral law.

Rsheid said each country has its confidentiality and every brotherhood group knows what is best for it, adding there are no interventions.

Rsheid said his movement expressed willingness to resume pumping Egyptian gas to Jordan, especially since its suspension by the Jordanian foreign ministry cost the treasury millions of dollars. However, the same minister announced that the Jordanian and Egyptian governments agreed to end this problem.

Despite the Jordanian parliamentary elections scheduled for January 23rd under the “one vote” election law rejected by the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood and because the brotherhood will boycott the elections, Rsheid expressed his belief that there is still plenty of time to reconsider the political Jordanian path. He called for a national dialogue table that will be based on postponing the elections and reconsidering the roadmap for political reform. He added that the minimum that will be accepted by the Muslim Brotherhood is to amend the election law.

Rsheid said they discovered the protests were able to accomplish political reform and that all governmental reforms resulted from public pressure.

He concluded that none of the main political forces demand change of the regime, but are committed to a certain ceiling including regime reform and peaceful movements.