Jordanian protesters want PM jailed

2011-06-30
Middle East Online

Police clash with more than 100 demonstrators demanding downfall of government, parliament outside parliament.

AMMAN - Police on Thursday clashed briefly with Jordanian demonstrators outside parliament before dispersing an anti-corruption protest, which called for the "imprisonment" of the prime minister.

"The people want the imprisonment of (premier) Maaruf Bakhit. The people want to expel Bakhit," more than 100 people, mostly youths, chanted in central Amman.

"The nation is a red line. We demand the downfall of government and parliament as well as the corrupt in the state," read one of the banners they carried.

They were protesting a lower house decision this week not to impeach Bakhit for his alleged role in a suspected graft case about a multi-million-dollar deal that his government singed with a UK-based company to build a casino, between 2005 and 2007 when he first served as premier.

The lower house has cleared Bakhit despite a parliamentary committee report which has found Bakhit partially responsible.

"The police dispersed the demonstration because they did not want to hear what we say," former MP Ali Ali Abu Sukkar, who took part in the protest, said.

The protesters wanted to hurl rotten eggs at the parliament building and MPs, but later threw them in the streets.

"We came from all parts of Jordan to protest the casino case farce by the government and MPs. We want them all out," Hisham Hees of the southern city of Theiban said.

Three MPs have resigned in protest against the lower house decision, news reports have said.

The powerful opposition Islamist movement as well as other groups plan to hold similar demonstrations in Amman and other parts of Jordan on Friday.

Since January, Jordan has faced a protest movement demanding political and economic reforms and an end to corruption.