Jordan Times
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
House expected to call
for extraordinary session in 2 weeks — Abbadi
By Ahmad Barakat and Rakan Saaideh
AMMAN — The Lower House is to petition the government in two weeks, calling for
an extraordinary session, Deputy Speaker Mamdouh Abbadi said on Tuesday.
Abbadi told The Jordan Times that the extraordinary session is expected to
discuss around 50 draft laws as well as the government's policy statement.
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 at the request of an absolute majority of the
deputies. Meanwhile, MPs who opposed the formation of the new government are to
meet today on His Majesty King Abdullah's directives and political vision on
reform plans he presented at his meeting with senior parliamentarians yesterday,
Deputy Atef Tarawneh said.
Tarawneh is one of the lawmakers who signed a strong-worded statement, saying
they would withhold confidence in the new government when Parliament convenes
for the vote. The number of signatories increased to 40 on Tuesday. In their
statement, the MPs said the House was marginalised and neglected during the
formation of the government, whose composition contradicted the King's
directives to relegate more authority to the regions of the Kingdom, as it
excluded any ministers from the south.
In different statement, meanwhile, three Irbid deputies and a Central Badia MP
said on Tuesday they believed Prime Minister Adnan Badran's government was
capable of implementing King Abdullah's vision.
The MPs said they supported the formation of the government, which was “based on
competence and free of tribal, regional and sectarian considerations.”
But they added that the government should open dialogue with “political powers
and civil society institutions,” and blamed the new government for not
consulting with the Lower House.
In a related development, several deputies and politicians split in their
opinions on whether the statement was based on the Constitution, but agreed that
appointments of ministers should be based on their skills, capabilities and
experience. They also said that national interests require consultation and
coordination with the House.
“It's sad that the demands were personal, which was unprecedented in our
parliamentary life,” former House Speaker Abdul Latif Arabiyat told the Jordan
News Agency, Petra. “There are fears that this would pave the way for more
unprecedented moves that are not accepted from deputies, who represent the
nation.”
Petra quoted Abbadi as saying that the statement was “100 per cent
constitutional,” and deputies may say their opinions on any local or
international issues at any time during their four-year term.
The Constitution grants them the right to monitor the government's performance,”
he said.
For Deputy Nariman Rousan, the statement was “unconstitutional because lawmakers
should oppose the formation of the government before it submits its policy
statement.”
Also on Tuesday, the professional associations said in a statement they “looked
positively” towards the new government, which, they added, would translate the
Royal directives into achievements on the ground.
The Higher Committee of the Jordanian National Opposition Political Parties
said, however, it was “concerned” over the new government's “persistence” to
adopt the same economic approach by former governments. The committee demanded
that the new government halt this approach.