By HASSAN HAFIDH
AMMAN, Jordan—Protests continued on Friday in the Jordanian capital Amman and other major cities despite bad weather conditions, demanding a quick dissolution of the country's parliament and holding national elections to choose new one.
The demonstrations were called by opposition parties, former lawmakers, independent activists and largely by the powerful Islamic Action Front, or IAF, which has threatened to boycott a political reform dialogue called by King Abdullah II and the new government of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit.
Inspired by popular revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and elsewhere in the Arab World, thousands of Jordanians have held protests for weeks to demand greater political reforms that would curb swelling poverty and unemployment. The protests have been largely peaceful and haven't reached the level of violence seen elsewhere in the region.
"We want the parliament to be dissolved and the people's right to elect their own government," the IAF's head of political office Zaki Bani Rsheid told hundreds followers after Friday prayers in the city of Zarka, an Islamist stronghold around 20 miles northeast of the capital.
The heavily policed crowd in downtown Amman also called for Mr. Bakhit to step down. "Out, out Bakhit, the turn is yours," they shouted.
Rolla Jamil, an independent activist said that she took part in all protests. "We have suffered enough, I cannot pay for my flat's rent and my medical bills," she said. "Bakhit should face the same fate as his predecessor, Rafai."
King Abdullah II, who still maintains large popularity among the Jordanians, appointed Mr. Bakhit on Feb. 9, after dismissing the previous government of Samir Rafai, and ordered the new premier to implement some political changes.
The king this week urged political parties to participate in a national dialogue to widen freedoms and public participation in the decision making.
The IAF, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, however, said that it wouldn't engage in any dialogue with the government unless it agrees first to their demands for constitutional reforms so that the prime ministers and cabinet ministers are elected rather than appointed.
"We come out now every Friday to demand changes pertaining the constitution, economic policies and foreign policies," said political analyst and university professor Ibrahim Alloush, in reference to the peace treaty the kingdom signed with Israel.
The demonstration near the main mosque in central Amman also had a small counterprotest of around 100 loyalists to King Abdullah. They shouted: "With our blood and souls, we sacrifice for you Abu Hussein," in reference to the king.
On Saturday, some 10,000 Palestinian residents and Bedouin tribesmen took to the streets of the capital to support the king, the Associated Press reported.
Friday's protests were a continuation of several smaller protests that took place during the week in Amman and other cities. On Wednesday thousands of electricity workers staged protests in Amman calling for salary increases and improvement of their work conditions. The association of Jordanian physicians held a protest Sunday calling for increasing their wages.
Journalists from state-controlled media demonstrated Monday for press freedom. A statement read to the crowd demanded a halt to "intervention in the media" by the Jordanian government, and a change of the state-controlled press "to independent newspapers."
No comments:
Post a Comment