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In Jordan, the Brotherhood Loses
(New York Post) Amir Taheri - The Jordanian election on Wednesday was for a 150-seat parliament that, for the first time, will have a say in appointing a prime minister and cabinet - ending the king's exclusive hold on the executive branch of government. At least 10% of the seats were reserved for women, but early results indicate they may win twice as many. But the big surprise is that the election marks a major setback for the Muslim Brotherhood. The Islamic Action Front, the Brotherhood's Jordanian branch, boycotted the voting after King Abdullah II refused its demands for major reductions in his powers before elections were held. By excluding itself from the new political process, the Jordanian Brotherhood set itself against the spectrum of political opinion in the kingdom - including several more moderate Islamist groups and scores of politicians with strong local roots.