Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood has gained a foothold in parliament by winning 15 seats after ending a decade-long boycott and returning to the fray as the mainstay of a broad civic alliance, according to preliminary results released on Thursday.The party, easily Jordan's biggest organised political grouping, had shunned previous elections in protest at a system that skews representation towards thinly populated rural areas dominated by tribal politics, rather than the cities, where the Brotherhood is strong.The National Alliance for Reform, which includes candidates from Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood group, nationalist, Christian and Circassian candidates, ditched its "Islam is the Solution" slogan and joined Christians and prominent national figures.

The National List's electoral victories "represent a fresh opportunity for the Islamists to return to Jordan's political stage", Amer al-Sabaylah, a Jordanian political analyst, told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, the so-called "Muslim Brotherhood Association" -- recently established by former Brotherhood figure Abdul-Majid al-Thunaibat -- clinched only one seat.

According to semi-final results, 39 sitting MPs retained their seats, while 16 former MPs returned to the assembly after a hiatus.

Most seats were divided between tribal, moderate and business candidates, meaning Jordan's executive authority will have little difficulty passing legislation, while the incoming government will be able to secure the assembly's confidence by a comfortable majority.

Five female candidates also won seats, bringing the total number of women in the assembly to 20.

Although Jordan has no ruling party, its government, appointed by King Abdullah, has for years faced little or no opposition from a parliament dominated by pro-government tribal leaders, businessmen and ex-security officials, often elected on promises to address local rather than national concerns.