Jordan Times
Sunday, April 4, 2004
Gov't ties with deputies remain good — premier
AMMAN (JT) — Prime Minister Faisal Fayez said on Friday that the relationship between the government and the Lower House is based on “partnership” rather than conflict.Speaking to Jordan Television's news show, 60 Minutes, the premier said that regardless of the friction witnessed during debates over some issues, when, for example, the government announced its plan to hike prices, ties with the deputies remain “good.”
He described the experience during the just ended ordinary session of Parliament as “a victory for democracy.” “We are keen on having a strong parliament,” he told the TV station, stressing, “we never seek to weaken it.”
Asked if the parliamentary blocs, professional associations, and political parties, among other civil society institutions were convinced by government justifications for the price hikes, Fayez said: “The problem in our political work in Jordan is that some say reasonable things and show understanding behind closed doors. But after that, they release statements to woo their electoral bases.”
However, he added, many have shown genuine understanding of the economic situation in the Kingdom and the fact that the interruption in Iraqi oil supplies and declining foreign assistance require a policy of self-reliance.
The premier said opponents of the decision to raise prices have ignored certain facts in their comments and statements such as the decision to raise the salaries of civil servants and military and security personnel. They did not mention, he continued, that the government made compromises during the dialogue it held over the economic correction plan, which went into effect Saturday.
“We intended, at first, to raise the sales tax to 17 per cent, but now it is 16 per cent. We set the new price of a gas cylinder at JD3.5 but then agreed to reduce it to JD3.25...,” he explained.
In response to the Islamists' criticism of the Lower House's endorsement of the decision to raise the General Sales Tax, he said he had already met twice with the members of the Islamic Action Front (IAF) bloc at the Lower House on the issue before the law was passed.
“I sat with them for five hours at the Parliament and another five hours at the residence of MP Azzam Huneidi, where I acquainted them with the facts about our situation,” he said.
“They showed understanding but did not offer practical solutions. Then they issued a statement, which I know was to serve electoral purposes...,” Fayez added.
On Saturday, the IAF parliamentary bloc announced that they would meet today with Minister of Political Development and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. Mohammad Daoudiyeh over the premier's remarks to “60 Minutes.” In a statement, the Islamist MPs said they would issue a public statement after the meeting.
The Jordan Times could not confirm the meeting from the government at press time.