By Mohammad Ben Hussein

AMMAN - Members of the executive office at the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, on Saturday tendered their resignations to the group's shura council, according to party officials.

The move put an end to weeks of speculations about fate of the office, as well as IAF Secretary General Zaki Bani Rsheid, who was at the centre of a disagreement among the group's leadership.

Bani Rsheid confirmed to The Jordan Times that he handed his resignation to the shura council, the group's highest authority, after a meeting on Thursday.

The council meeting was held behind closed doors late Thursday in a bid to contain growing differences within the group's major ranks.

Bani Rsheid refused to comment on the reasons behind his decision to resign a few months before his tenure at the helm of the party comes to an end.

A Muslim Brotherhood statement said the shura council will decide on the future of the IAF executive office in light of the resignations.

The shura council is expected to announce a caretaker for the party to prepare for early elections in the next few months, according to IAF sources.

Several sources confirmed that Ishaq Farhan will be named as caretaker, with an official announcement expected in the next few days.

Bani Rsheid, who has served as IAF secretary general for more than three years, has been at odds with a number of moderate IAF leaders over the party's ties with Hamas and the group’s position on relations with the government, according to party sources.

Fallout from the 2007 parliamentary elections cast a shadow over the party's internal affairs after Bani Rsheid was accused of lobbying against Islamist candidates in the elections.

The Islamist movement gained six out of the 110 Lower House seats, the lowest representation since parliamentary elections were reintroduced two decades ago.

Bani Rsheid was referred to a party court earlier this year for refusing to endorse IAF candidates for the elections and sentenced to one year of membership suspension. But the sentence was delayed until his term as IAF secretary general ends later this year, according to a source close to the IAF executive office.