Jordan Times
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
All chances must be exploited
to move peace process forward - Judeh
By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - Jordan hopes that the Annapolis conference will be a turning point for
the peace process in the region as reiterated by His Majesty King Abdullah,
Government Spokesperson Nasser Judeh said on Monday.
“All chances must be exploited to move the peace process forward and to discuss
substantial issues which would lead to the establishment of a viable Palestinian
state according to international resolutions,” Judeh said during the weekly
press briefing yesterday.
The government spokesperson added that Jordan is optimistic about consensus on
the importance of Iraq’s unity and security at a recent meeting in Turkey that
was attended by representatives from Iraq’s neighbouring countries.
“The government is concerned with Iraq’s security and unity as much as it is
concerned with the security of Iraq’s neighbours in terms of the situation on
the borders between Iraq and Turkey,” Judeh added.
In reference to Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Ben
Jassem Al Thani’s visit to the Kingdom to participate in the Arab Thought Forum
conference, Judeh commended the brotherly relations between the leaders of the
two countries.
“We are proud of the strong ties with Qatar, which we believe are on the right
track,” he said.
Responding to a question on the upcoming Parliamentary elections, Judeh said
that around 87,000 applications for vote transfer have been examined by the
court, 12,000 of which were cancelled for not abiding by the regulations.
He pointed out that articles 20, 47-51 of the Elections Law stipulate the
penalties for election-related crimes, stressing that the government will not
hesitate to hold accountable those found in violation of the law.
“Two or three cases have been referred to the court for legal action,” he added.
According to the Elections Law, the government will make the voters’ lists
available to the public, however, the law does not oblige the government to
share the lists with the candidates, Judeh said.
The government announced earlier that the door is open for civic societies
wishing to follow up on elections procedures, Judeh said, stressing the need to
distinguish between the right to “monitor” the elections, which is by law only
allowed for candidates or their representatives, and to “follow up” on the
elections.
Two days ago, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit met with the Jordan National Centre
for Human Rights (NCHR), civic institutions and societies and agreed that around
100-150 individuals representing these institutions will be allowed to follow up
on the elections under the umbrella of NCHR, Judeh told reporters.
The government spokesperson also referred the issue of visas for Iraqis.
“All studies indicate that the principle of introducing visas for the entry of
Iraqi citizens into the Kingdom is the most suitable, however, the government
has not yet taken a decision in this regard as it is still studying the best
mechanism of implementing the decision if it is endorsed,” he said.
Judeh stressed that the government’s procedures in this regard aim to regulate
and facilitate the entry of Iraqis into the country.