The return of the Islamic Action Front on the local political scene in Jordan. A case study of the municipality of Zarqa

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In August 2017, after boycotting municipal elections for more than ten years, the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, took the opportunity presented by state decentralization to once again engage in the local electoral and political scenes. This article explores the case of the municipality of Zarqa, where the alliance formed by the party in 2016, the National Coalition for Reform, won several seats, including that of mayor. The aim of this article is to examine the obstacles faced by the elected representatives of the Islamic Action Front in their exercise of local power. They are confronted with implicit repression by the regime, through its control of municipal finances, as well as local opposition to their seizure of power. Nevertheless, the members of the party can benefit from the Brotherhood’s resources in order to minimize the cost of this resistance and maintain political authority within the municipality.