Jordan Times
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Gov't to investigate alleged Iraqi oil 'bribes,' Halaiqa tells deputies
By Sahar Aloul
AMMAN — The pitch of debate raised a notch in the Lower House on Wednesday as some deputies passionately defended their stand on the temporary Labour Law drafted by the previous government in the two-year absence of Parliament.
Under 10 legislators put up a hard fight in favour of amendments to some articles in the law, adjusted by former Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb's Cabinet in 2002.
But when voting on the Labour Law articles took place, the House voted in favour of the articles in question.
Only Odeh Qawwas (Amman, 3rd District) insisted on reopening the vote on three different articles, namely Article 15 concerned with employing youth under 18 in hazardous jobs.
The Amman MP is opposed to employing youth of that age regardless of the nature of the job.
“This article contravenes Jordan's position against child labour,” said Qawwas, a former school physician.
Objecting to the way the voting was conducted and that he was not allowed to express his objection to the law, Qawwas said: “We are not here in this place [Parliament] to say yes to everything without understanding the issue we're discussing.”
The House, however, turned down Qawwas' proposal.
According to Lower House regulations, debate on any article of a law under discussion should cease upon the taking of the vote on the article in question.
In amending the law in 2002, Abul Ragheb's Cabinets introduced articles on protecting foreign domestic labourers from abuse and regulating their employment office's work extending inheritors' rights, and applying the international labour treaty.
The last session before the five-day Eid Al Adha holiday also witnessed the largest number of speakers during the unscheduled topics period.
Fifteen deputies got three minutes each on the floor. A maximum of 10 MPs per session have access to the floor, in accordance with an agreement reached between the House speakership and the government.