Jordan Times
Sunday, December 11, 2005
PARLIAMENT WATCH
The Lower House is scheduled to elect its 14
permanent committees today following negotiations over the weekend among the
major blocs.
Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali on Saturday chaired marathon meetings
between the House blocs in a bid to reach a compromise regarding membership in
the committees.
The meetings continued until late yesterday, but a breakthrough is expected.
The House will refer four temporary laws that were given urgency status by the
government to the concerned committees: The agriculture, customs, income tax and
state property bills.
Parliamentary sources expect the state property and agriculture laws, which
grant foreigners the right to buy state-owned land for real-estate development
purposes and resell it, to come under scrutiny in the Lower House.
The special committee tasked with drafting a reply to His Majesty King
Abdullah's Speech from the Throne, which he delivered at the opening of
Parliament's third ordinary session on Dec. 1, has finalised its response. The
reply is scheduled to be referred to the House for deliberation today.
According to the Constitution, Parliament must respond to the King's Speech from
the Throne within two weeks.
Meanwhile, government and parliamentary sources confirmed that the government
would submit its policy statement on Wednesday. The House is expected to start
voting on the statement as early as next week.