Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 11, 2005
King to meet top MPs
today
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh and Ahmad Barakat
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah is to meet
today with top parliamentarians to discuss Jordan's future policies, informed
sources said on Monday.
King Abdullah's meeting with Senate President Zeid Rifai, Lower House Speaker
Abdul Hadi Majali and heads of parliamentary blocs and committees is to focus on
the Monarch's vision of comprehensive reform as a key task for the government,
according to the sources.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of
Political Development Hisham Tal told reporters after a meeting with several
deputies that the government seeks to enhance cooperation and coordination with
the Lower House.
“The government will present the House with its policy statement, including
programmes and plans on reform and comprehensive development,” Tal said. “Based
on that, we will ask for the vote of confidence.”
On Sunday, 34 MPs signed a statement, expressing dissatisfaction with the
formation of the new government and saying that they would withhold confidence
when Parliament convenes for the vote. Four more deputies signed the statement
yesterday. Tal said the government respects the deputies' will and their right
to withhold confidence, but at the same time reiterated the government's right
to present its policy.
In their statement, the lawmakers said the Lower House was marginalised and
neglected during the formation of the government, whose composition contradicted
Royal directives to relegate more authority to the regions of the Kingdom, as it
excluded any ministers from the southern regions.
The minister said it was up to the King to call for an extraordinary session of
the Parliament, adding that he did not discuss the issue with the MPs.
The Parliament's second ordinary session was recessed on April 1. The next
ordinary session is slated for November. According to the Constitution, “the
King may whenever necessary summon the National Assembly to meet in an
extraordinary session for an unspecified period.”
Also yesterday, Prime Minister Adnan Badran held separate talks with Rifai and
Majali on the government's mandate and future plans, the Jordan News Agency,
Petra, reported.
The meeting was seen as part of government efforts to iron out differences with
the deputies and garner support for a vote of confidence.
According to MP Jamal Dmour (Karak), the signatories are “consistent with their
position on the new government and are committed to their statement.” He
expected the number of signatories to increase to 40 by weekend.
He reiterated that the main issue was “the lack of communication and
partnership” with the Lower House while forming the government.
But other deputies hinted that the current tension would subside.
Deputy House Speaker Mamdouh Abbadi told The Jordan Times he expected that the
problem would be solved before the vote of confidence takes place during an
extraordinary or an ordinary session. Abbadi added that “direct communication”
between the government and deputies would end the impasse.
Abbadi and other deputies explained the outset of the new government would have
taken a different path had the prime minister consulted with the Lower House.
“Hastiness and improvisation in forming the government was an unintentional
mistake,” he said.
In a related development, the Islamic Action Front Party bloc, comprised of 17
deputies, said it refused to sign because it believed that a vote of confidence
should be based on the government's programmes and plans.
“Although the IAF has its reservations on the formation of the Cabinet,
particularly because it failed to consult the House and fairly represent the
population, we look beyond that to the Cabinet's competency and work plan,” said
IAF Deputy Ali Abul Sukkar.
Rakan Saaideh contributed to this report.