Jordan Times
Sunday, May 1, 2005
Gov't
working in parallel with agenda panel — PM
AMMAN (JT) — Prime Minister Adnan Badran said on Saturday the government was
“working in parallel” with the Steering Committee for the National Agenda on
political and socio-economic reforms.
“The government will not sit idle while the agenda is being prepared. The reform
process has to go on,” Badran told chief editors of daily newspapers and other
journalists during his first such meeting with them since the Cabinet was formed
on April 7.
The Steering Committee for the National Agenda, formed by a Royal Decree in
February, is to determine the Kingdom's policies and programmes over the next 10
years.
Badran said the agenda, whose guidelines and recommendations are expected to be
drafted before the September deadline set by His Majesty King Abdullah, will go
to Parliament for debate.
He added that the National Agenda is expected to stir a healthy debate and be
thoroughly examined by the press, saying that the government will be “keen to
hear all views” on the anticipated agenda.
The political parties' draft law, meanwhile, will also be “debated in a healthy
manner,” Badran said.
He told journalists that the professional associations draft law, which was
presented to Parliament by former government with urgency status, will not be
withdrawn, but rather would take the necessary time for debate at the Lower
House.
The former government presented the controversial law to curb political
activities by the 130,000-member associations.
The premier stressed that his government does not seek to “dominate civic
society institutions.”
“The government believes in pluralism and freedom of expression — which we
pledged to support,” he said. “But not when it comes to slandering individuals
nor harming national interests.”
He reassured journalists that he believes in the role of the press to monitor
the performance of the three authorities.
He also stressed that there will be no form of prior censorship nor imprisonment
of journalists — a practice which, he said, was ended by the new press and
publications' draft law awaiting approval by the Parliament.
Badran said he was ready to reshuffle his Cabinet to make it representative of
various parts of Jordan, particularly the south and bedouin regions, maintaining
that geographic representation is not a constitutional requirement, but a
political norm that he did not commit to when forming the government due to
“time limitations.”
Around 43 deputies signed a petition objecting to the formation of the Cabinet.
They said the government was not representative and included ministers who
created clashes between the legislative and executive authorities as well as
members who were “not up to the responsibility.”
“I will meet the 43 deputies on Tuesday and I will be open to all options,
including adding members to this Cabinet,” the premier said.
Badran noted that the biggest challenge facing his government is reforming the
public sector.