Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
King opens Parliament
today
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah opens the 14th Parliament’s final ordinary
session today with a Speech from the Throne in which he is expected to underline
political and economic challenges that need to be tackled.
The King will address a joint session of the Upper and Lower Houses in the
presence of the Cabinet.
The Parliament session comes days after Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit reshuffled
his Cabinet by bringing in three former ministers and six newcomers in a bid to
reinforce government plans.
After the Monarch concludes his speech and leaves Parliament, the Upper House
will convene to elect members of its permanent office.
Later in the day, the Lower House will meet in a session presided over by the
eldest available member, with the two youngest MPs acting as his assistants, to
elect the speaker and members of the permanent office.
Lawmakers expect Deputy Hashem Dabbas (Balqa, First District), the second eldest
member, to preside over the session, since the eldest, Deputy Abdul Hafeez Heet
(Amman, First District), is in hospital recovering from injuries sustained in a
car accident.
Incumbent House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali is expected to be reelected easily,
despite the fact that Zuheir Abul Ragheb (Amman, Third District) from the
Islamic Action Front (IAF) bloc, is a contender for the post. Earlier this
month, leaders of seven House blocs, representing 73 out of 110 members, agreed
to elect Majali as a speaker.
Deputy Nayef Abu Mahfouz (Amman, Fourth District), will also run for the
speakership, while Deputy Mustafa Shneikat (Balqa, First District) withdrew from
the race on Saturday.
The 15-member IAF bloc and several independent deputies are expected to support
Abul Ragheb, but observers say the speakership race is secured in favour of
Majali.
During the four-month session, Parliament is scheduled to deliberate several
political and economic laws, including the draft amendment of the Income Tax Law
and the municipalities, political parties, press and publication and political
parties bills among many others. Deputies are also expected to be engaged in a
lengthy debate on the alleged corruption case involving former minister of
municipal affairs Abdul Razzaq Tbeishat.
Meanwhile, Deputy Azzam Hneidi (Amman, First District), head of the IAF bloc,
told The Jordan Times on Monday that his bloc will circulate a letter for
signature among deputies calling for discussions on the future of former
deputies Ali Abul Sukkar and Mohammad Abu Fares. The two Islamist MPs lost their
membership after they were sentenced to 13 months in prison for stirring
national discord and sectarianism.
They were released from prison last month after being granted a special pardon,
which lifts penalties, but does not annul convictions.
The IAF, however, maintains that Abul Sukkar and Abu Fares remain MPs because of
the nature of their crime.
“The Constitution clearly says only nonpolitical offenders are barred from being
members of Parliament, but their crime is political,” said Hneidi.