Jordan Times
Sunday, October 17, 2004
'Gov't might slightly shift focus to reform'
By Alia Shukri Hamzeh
AMMAN — While little is being revealed by officials on an imminent Cabinet reshuffle, informed sources suggested Saturday that the government would slightly shift focus from political development to the more pressing issue of public reform.
Even before holding an official retreat to assess the government's performance over the past year, there has been a current to evaluate strengths and weaknesses and come up with a plan that helps the country streamline and upgrade its burdensome bureaucracy.
The sources generally agreed that one priority for the upcoming Cabinet, expected to be formed within the next days, would be public and administrative reform. They said the government realised that in order to accelerate political and economic development, called upon in the Oct. 23, 2003 Letter of Designation, the public sector has to be revamped.
“In order to achieve political development and have greater public participation in political life, people have to feel good about their reality, and to make that happen, changes have to be made in the public sector,” an observer said.
Two new special ministries of public reforms and government performance are expected to form some sort of “a powerful triangle” with the Prime Ministry in order to give a push to the Cabinet and “put an end to the bureaucracy that has been blocking the dynamisation of the country.”
“Slow bureaucracy has been a major impediment to the development of the public sector — which has also slowed our passage into the next phase of social, political and economic advancement. Unless we tackle the core problems that hinder our development, we won't be able to gain momentum,” another source said.
A retreat that would include incumbent and new ministers is expected later this week to pave the way for the reshuffle.
Prime Minister Faisal Fayez held the first retreat in the Kingdom's history following his appointment last year. He met would-be ministers to discuss their platform before taking oath and worked together on a reply to the Letter of Designation.
A second retreat would follow the reshuffle to chart the new Cabinet's action plan.
Fayez said earlier that the reshuffle would bring in many new faces. Sources estimated that four ministers would leave the current Cabinet, ten “new faces” will be included, increasing the number of Cabinet members to 26 from the existing 20.
The number of women in the Cabinet, an unprecedented three, was expected to remain unchanged, but their posts are still subject to change.
The reshuffle has been the hot issue of discussion in Amman's political circles over the weekend. Some observers believe that the prime minister has had a yearlong examination of his team to be able to determine the Cabinet's points of strength and weaknesses.
An observer expected that Fayez would still focus on economic and administrative development, adding that the direction of political reform “has gone down the wrong path.” Another said it never got off the ground.
The Ministry of Political Development, that was created last year, will continue work as planned, but Minister Mohammad Daoudiyeh was expected to be replaced.
Analysts believe that the most likely candidate for the post of the new ministry of public reform is Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher. Other sources give that prediction a 50-50 chance.
One candidate tipped to succeed Muasher was Jordan's Ambassador to Egypt and former minister of industry and trade and water Hani Mulki.
Those predicted to leave the Cabinet include Minister of Higher Education Issam Zabalawi, Minister of Public Works, Housing and Transport Raed Abu Saud, Minister of Health Saeed Darwazeh and Minister of Municipal Affairs Amal Farhan.
Analysts said the mentioned ministries “have not shown any real advancement in performance and have not been up to pace with the required development.”
Minister of State and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader could replace Daoudiyeh.
Minister of Information and Communications Technology Fawaz Zu'bi, who also holds the administrative development portfolio, was said to be among those leaving the Cabinet.
Although known as a heavyweight and leading figure in the country's IT sector, Zu'bi has reportedly requested to leave for personal reasons.
The ministries of culture and information, that were scrapped a year ago, are expected to be reinstated, sources said. But names of candidates for the posts have not been made available.
Meanwhile, prominent IT and economy figure Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Bassem Awadallah is expected to keep his post. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Mohammad Halaiqa is said to be assuming a new post within the Cabinet.
Sources also indicated that the ministries of water and irrigation and agriculture, which merged in 2003, will split again. Water and Irrigation Minister Hazem Nasser will retain his portfolio, while Interior Minister Samir Habashneh, who holds a degree in agricultural engineering, is tipped to handle agriculture.
The sources said the recent scuffles between Habashneh and the Muslim Brotherhood Movement has somehow led to an “unbalance” in ties between the government and the Islamists and put pressure on the prime minister.
But as one analyst said, in order to defuse the problem “and at the same time not allow the Islamists to believe they won their case with the government,” the minister would remain in the Cabinet but will carry a different portfolio.