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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Another breakaway group from the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm the Islamic Action Front (IAF) have applied to register a political party.

The Elders Group has filed registration documents for the “Partnership and Rescue Party” to the Ministry of Political Development and Parliamentary Affairs.

Ghaith Qudah, former IAF member and a founding member of the new party, said members did not rush the registration process because they wanted the vision for the new entity to be crystallised first.

The founders include Islamists who submitted a collective resignation in December after disagreements with the IAF, along with other personalities who have experience in public work or served in the government, including Mohammad Abu Hammour, a former finance minister.

The Elders Group is headed by former leaders of the IAF including Abdul Hamid Qudah and Nimer Assaf.

According to Ghaith Qudah, the new party does not share any common ideology with the IAF, as it will be based on the foundations of a civil state with no religious orientations.

Once it is officially registered, this party will be the second to be formed by defectors of the old Muslim Brotherhood and the IAF.

The first, the National Conference Party, was founded by leaders of the National Building Initiative, known as the Zamzam Initiative, led by Erheil Gharaibeh. The Zamzam Initiative was launched in 2012 by moderate Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood and other political figures. It put forward proposals to address challenges facing the Kingdom.

The brotherhood rejected the initiative in a move that was seen as a sign of disarray within its ranks.

The Muslim Brotherhood group was declared illegal on procedural grounds and its offices were closed by authorities after defectors registered the Muslim Brotherhood Society as a Jordanian entity, and managed to seize some of the group’s assets after winning lawsuits.

Although its political arm, the IAF, is still legal, it witnessed the defection of hundreds of its members following disagreement with its leaders.

The IAF took part in the recent parliamentary elections and won, along with allies, 16 seats in the 130-strong Lower House.

*Jordan Times