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Why Jordan’s Islamists are boycotting elections

Some are calling for a boycott of the upcoming Jordanian parliamentary elections in protest against anticipated manipulation.
A Jordanian woman shows her ink-stained finger after casting her vote in the parliamentary elections at a polling station in the capital Amman on September 20, 2016.  
Jordanians are voting in an election that could see opposition Islamists re-emerge as a major parliamentary force in the key Western ally.

 / AFP / Khalil MAZRAAWI        (Photo credit should read KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images)

Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Islamic Action Front, seems to be heading toward a boycott of the parliamentary elections slated for Nov. 10, amid a clampdown on public freedoms in the kingdom.

Islamists are also concerned that government intervention in the upcoming elections will affect the integrity of the electoral race.

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