Jordan Times
Friday, August 26, 2005
Badran asks association presidents for observations on draft law
AMMAN (Petra) — Prime Minister Adnan Badran on
Thursday said the government was committed to holding transparent consultations
with all concerned parties on the professional associations draft law in order
to come up with a legislation that has national consensus.
He requested presidents of the Kingdom's 14 professional associations to send
him their observations and reservations about the bill so as to forward them to
the Lower House Legal Committee, which is currently discussing the draft.
At a meeting with association presidents yesterday, Badran urged them to upgrade
the professional skills of their members. He noted that the associations were
engaged in political life at a point in the Kingdom's history due to a gap on
the political scene caused by the absence of effective political parties.
The premier also renewed the government's commitment to enhancing public and
press freedoms, democracy and political pluralism.
Attending the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister for Political Development Hisham
Tal said the government has no problems with the associations, and is keen on
sustaining existing cooperation.
Presidents of the Kingdom's 14 professional associations, who gathered a day
earlier to coordinate their stands ahead of Thursday's meeting with the premier,
called on government officials to withdraw the controversial bill and stop
interfering in the associations' activities.
They also demanded that the associations be allowed to coordinate with local
universities in designing study plans for certain fields of specialisation that
are linked to the different professions represented by the associations.