13 March 2014
Source: Middle East Monitor
The majority of the Jordanian House of Representatives voted
yesterday to seek the release of soldier Ahmad Adakkamsh, who has been
sentenced to life imprisonment, the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador
from Amman and recalling his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv.
The majority of attendees agreed on the demands that were raised
during the discussion of the members of the House of Representatives who
were discussing the issue of the death of Judge Raed Zeiter, but other
members of parliament protested against these demands.
The parliament approved, with a majority, the request of the
Jordanian Attorney General to file a case against the commander of the
Israeli army, which was done on Tuesday.
The parliament has decided twice to expel the Israeli ambassador from
Amman and recall his Jordanian counterpart from Tel Aviv, as well as
two requests that were previously made for the release of Adakkamsh.
The House of Representatives rejected the proposal of MP Musa Abu
Sweilem to reopen the offices of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas
in Jordan.
The MPs have given the government until next Tuesday to implement the
parliamentary recommendations, threatening to topple it if it does not
comply with the MPs' decisions.
The parliament demanded the release of Jordanian and Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails, informing the MPs about developments
concerning the issue of martyr Zeiter, holding a thorough investigation
and bringing killers before the International Criminal Court, imposing a
Jordanian-Palestinian control over the Palestinian side of the border
crossings, and taking the initiative to achieve reconciliation between
Fatah and Hamas.
Israel expressed regret for the killing of the Jordanian judge, who
is of Palestinian origin, by its soldiers on Monday. Zeiter was killed
on Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.
Following this incident, Jordan witnessed many demonstrations and
events condemning the execution of Zeiter, where participants and
protesters demanded cutting ties with Israel.
Link: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/10291-jordanian-parliament-gives-the-government-a-week-to-expel-the-israeli-ambassador.
Showing posts with label Jordanian Parliament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jordanian Parliament. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Jordan Islamists Seek to Emulate Morsi's Victory
June 26, 2012
by Abdullah Omar
Source:The Media Line
AMMAN, Jordan -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan celebrated the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt as if he was one of their own, opening their offices across the kingdom to hand out sweets and gloat before shocked Jordanian authorities.
“What we saw in Egypt clearly shows that reform is coming. It is a matter of time,” said Ali Abul Sukkar, president of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The victory of Morsi in the elections is a great boost for the Islamist movement and a wake up call for the regime to implement reforms as promised,” said Abul Sukkar.
Minutes after it was confirmed that a fellow Islamist Morsi won, the leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on supporters to join their celebrations spilling out of its 24 branches across the kingdom.
King Abdullah II sent a cable of congratulations to Morsi, stressing Jordan’s commitment to continued efforts to boost its relations with Egypt in all domains and in a manner that helps activate Arab and Islamic cooperation, a Royal Court statement said.
Diplomacy aside, analysts say the Islamist movement will be emboldened by the victory of a major ally and could harden its stance with authorities over demanded reforms. At the moment, the Islamist movement is set to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections later this year.
While authorities are still assessing the impact of Morsi’s victory on the local scene, some Jordanian officials have already voiced concerns that the local Muslim Brotherhood movement could be seeking to emulate their Egyptian counterparts.
To the dismay of opposition parties including the Islamist movement, the parliament on Sunday endorsed a controversial election reform bill that has been described as backward and anti-reform legislation and an effort to kick start the long overdue reforms promised since the Arab Spring swept the region 16 months ago.
The bill kept the balance of power in the hands of conservative tribes loyal to the regime and made sure political parties have minor, if any, representation in the legislature.
Opposition parties say the amendments will continue to enable pro-regime candidates from tribal dominated areas and influential businessmen to win at the expense of party candidates.
Zaki Bani Rashid, senior leader from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, said his group is planning to create a shadow government and a shadow parliament after having given up on reform promises.
But Islamist leaders say the government is delaying the inevitable.
In Jordan’s first free elections since 1989, the Islamist movement swept parliament seats and enjoyed a slight majority, before authorities amended the law in favor of Bedouin tribes and loyalists.
King Abdullah is expected to sign a royal decree in coming days to officially pass the bill as law, paving the way for elections by the end of the year.
Analyst Mohammad Abu Rumman believes that authorities are adamant to maintain their grip on the country without giving concessions.
“It is too late, we missed the train. We wished results of the Egyptian elections were announced before the elections law was endorsed,” said Abu Rumman, warning against what he believes are inevitable and dire consequences to the political current political stand off between the regime and the Islamists movement.
“Are we going to rectify the situation or wait to pay a heavy price?” Abu Rumman pondered.
Hamzah Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, sent a veiled message to authorities, saying his group was headed for victory in the style of its larger Egyptian sister.
"I think victory is a temptation for another victory and encourages success. Victory of the Egyptian people will have an impact on the governments of all of the Arab and Islamic countries. They must reconsider their policies and respect the will of their people," Mansour said.
Morsi defeated former general Ahmed Shafiq in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed over who was going to be named the leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Shafiq has since reportedly fled Egypt for a Gulf state.
Morsi succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.
by Abdullah Omar
Source:The Media Line
AMMAN, Jordan -- The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan celebrated the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi as president of Egypt as if he was one of their own, opening their offices across the kingdom to hand out sweets and gloat before shocked Jordanian authorities.
“What we saw in Egypt clearly shows that reform is coming. It is a matter of time,” said Ali Abul Sukkar, president of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood.
“The victory of Morsi in the elections is a great boost for the Islamist movement and a wake up call for the regime to implement reforms as promised,” said Abul Sukkar.
Minutes after it was confirmed that a fellow Islamist Morsi won, the leadership of the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood issued a statement calling on supporters to join their celebrations spilling out of its 24 branches across the kingdom.
King Abdullah II sent a cable of congratulations to Morsi, stressing Jordan’s commitment to continued efforts to boost its relations with Egypt in all domains and in a manner that helps activate Arab and Islamic cooperation, a Royal Court statement said.
Diplomacy aside, analysts say the Islamist movement will be emboldened by the victory of a major ally and could harden its stance with authorities over demanded reforms. At the moment, the Islamist movement is set to boycott upcoming parliamentary elections later this year.
While authorities are still assessing the impact of Morsi’s victory on the local scene, some Jordanian officials have already voiced concerns that the local Muslim Brotherhood movement could be seeking to emulate their Egyptian counterparts.
To the dismay of opposition parties including the Islamist movement, the parliament on Sunday endorsed a controversial election reform bill that has been described as backward and anti-reform legislation and an effort to kick start the long overdue reforms promised since the Arab Spring swept the region 16 months ago.
The bill kept the balance of power in the hands of conservative tribes loyal to the regime and made sure political parties have minor, if any, representation in the legislature.
Opposition parties say the amendments will continue to enable pro-regime candidates from tribal dominated areas and influential businessmen to win at the expense of party candidates.
Zaki Bani Rashid, senior leader from the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, said his group is planning to create a shadow government and a shadow parliament after having given up on reform promises.
But Islamist leaders say the government is delaying the inevitable.
In Jordan’s first free elections since 1989, the Islamist movement swept parliament seats and enjoyed a slight majority, before authorities amended the law in favor of Bedouin tribes and loyalists.
King Abdullah is expected to sign a royal decree in coming days to officially pass the bill as law, paving the way for elections by the end of the year.
Analyst Mohammad Abu Rumman believes that authorities are adamant to maintain their grip on the country without giving concessions.
“It is too late, we missed the train. We wished results of the Egyptian elections were announced before the elections law was endorsed,” said Abu Rumman, warning against what he believes are inevitable and dire consequences to the political current political stand off between the regime and the Islamists movement.
“Are we going to rectify the situation or wait to pay a heavy price?” Abu Rumman pondered.
Hamzah Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, sent a veiled message to authorities, saying his group was headed for victory in the style of its larger Egyptian sister.
"I think victory is a temptation for another victory and encourages success. Victory of the Egyptian people will have an impact on the governments of all of the Arab and Islamic countries. They must reconsider their policies and respect the will of their people," Mansour said.
Morsi defeated former general Ahmed Shafiq in a run-off last weekend by a convincing 3.5 percentage points, or nearly 900,000 votes, taking 51.7 percent of the total, officials said, ending a week of disputes over the count which left nerves frayed over who was going to be named the leader of the Arab world’s most populous nation.
Shafiq has since reportedly fled Egypt for a Gulf state.
Morsi succeeds Hosni Mubarak, who was overthrown 16 months ago after a popular uprising. The military council which has ruled the biggest Arab nation since then has this month curbed the powers of the presidency, meaning the head of state will have to work closely with the army on a planned democratic constitution.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Journalists to Protest Controversial Article at Senate
2011-09-28
AMMONNEWS - Journalists and activists will stage a protest Thursday evening before the Upper House of Parliament against the approval of a controversial article in the Anti-Corruption law which they view as curbing press freedoms.
The protest is scheduled to take place at 4 PM in front of the Senate to coincide with the final session to be held in parliament before it adjourns from the extra-ordinary session.
The Senate will convene on Thursday to deliberate on the 2011 Anti-Corruption Law, which was approved by the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday.
Representatives of political, youth, and nationalist movements announced partaking in the protest, in addition to Jordanian professional associations and opposition political parties, in a stance aimed to defend freedom of the press and the media's role in exposing corruption.
Journalists and advocates went in uproar on Tuesday after lawmakers passed the law containing the controversial Article 23, which includes provisions that any person or party that charges another of corruption without providing lawful evidence with the purpose of slander or defamation and character assassination will be subjected to a fine of a minimum of JD 30,000 to a maximum of JD 60,000.
Observers and several MPs who opposed the controversial article blasted that the stipulation aims to 'fortress corruption and corrupt officials,' and contradicts the reform principles publicly propagated by the legislative and executive branches.
AMMONNEWS - Journalists and activists will stage a protest Thursday evening before the Upper House of Parliament against the approval of a controversial article in the Anti-Corruption law which they view as curbing press freedoms.
The protest is scheduled to take place at 4 PM in front of the Senate to coincide with the final session to be held in parliament before it adjourns from the extra-ordinary session.
The Senate will convene on Thursday to deliberate on the 2011 Anti-Corruption Law, which was approved by the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday.
Representatives of political, youth, and nationalist movements announced partaking in the protest, in addition to Jordanian professional associations and opposition political parties, in a stance aimed to defend freedom of the press and the media's role in exposing corruption.
Journalists and advocates went in uproar on Tuesday after lawmakers passed the law containing the controversial Article 23, which includes provisions that any person or party that charges another of corruption without providing lawful evidence with the purpose of slander or defamation and character assassination will be subjected to a fine of a minimum of JD 30,000 to a maximum of JD 60,000.
Observers and several MPs who opposed the controversial article blasted that the stipulation aims to 'fortress corruption and corrupt officials,' and contradicts the reform principles publicly propagated by the legislative and executive branches.
Parliament criminalises reporting on corruption
2011-09-29
AMMONNEWS - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the recent adoption of Article 23 (A draft law for the Authority of Anti-Corruption presented by the executive power) by the Jordanian Parliament, which criminalizes publishing information about corruption with a fine of 30,000 to 60,000 Jordanian Dinars (approx. US$42,000 to US$84,600). The article was approved by 56 members out of the 96 who attended the session, which was held on the morning of 27 September.
Under Article 23, "Whoever unlawfully spreads, publishes, refers or helps in the publication of news by any public means about any person accused of the crimes of corruption which is mentioned in Article 5 of this law and that leads to defamation, impacts on his dignity or targets his personality, will be punished by a fine not less than 30,000 Jordanian Dinars and not more than 60,000 Jordanian Dinars." This means that journalists, bloggers and activists in Jordan will risk prosecution and a steep fine for publishing any news or information about corruption.
ANHRI pointed out that "the adoption of this article by the Parliament is not only considered to be an attack on freedom of expression and gagging of journalists, but is also a violation against the rights of citizens to circulate information on corruption, which must be shared with public opinion as it affects all classes of people directly."
"This oppressive article that was adopted by the Parliament is considered to be an endorsement for corruption in Jordan. It does not provide any benefit to the people in Jordan. On the contrary, it aims to protect some people in power and could provoke suspicions of corruption against them," said ANHRI
"The adoption of this article by the Parliament is shocking, particularly since the main role of the Parliament is to represent the people and express their interests, limit corruption and curb it. This legislative addition makes us wonder because by adopting this article, it went from guarding against corruption to condoning it. The Jordanian authorities must reevaluate the issue of adopting and applying these arbitrary legal restrictions," ANHRI added.
AMMONNEWS - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned the recent adoption of Article 23 (A draft law for the Authority of Anti-Corruption presented by the executive power) by the Jordanian Parliament, which criminalizes publishing information about corruption with a fine of 30,000 to 60,000 Jordanian Dinars (approx. US$42,000 to US$84,600). The article was approved by 56 members out of the 96 who attended the session, which was held on the morning of 27 September.
Under Article 23, "Whoever unlawfully spreads, publishes, refers or helps in the publication of news by any public means about any person accused of the crimes of corruption which is mentioned in Article 5 of this law and that leads to defamation, impacts on his dignity or targets his personality, will be punished by a fine not less than 30,000 Jordanian Dinars and not more than 60,000 Jordanian Dinars." This means that journalists, bloggers and activists in Jordan will risk prosecution and a steep fine for publishing any news or information about corruption.
ANHRI pointed out that "the adoption of this article by the Parliament is not only considered to be an attack on freedom of expression and gagging of journalists, but is also a violation against the rights of citizens to circulate information on corruption, which must be shared with public opinion as it affects all classes of people directly."
"This oppressive article that was adopted by the Parliament is considered to be an endorsement for corruption in Jordan. It does not provide any benefit to the people in Jordan. On the contrary, it aims to protect some people in power and could provoke suspicions of corruption against them," said ANHRI
"The adoption of this article by the Parliament is shocking, particularly since the main role of the Parliament is to represent the people and express their interests, limit corruption and curb it. This legislative addition makes us wonder because by adopting this article, it went from guarding against corruption to condoning it. The Jordanian authorities must reevaluate the issue of adopting and applying these arbitrary legal restrictions," ANHRI added.
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