Dissolve parliament: Jordan protesters

Wed Mar 9, 2011

Jordanian anti-government protesters have gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital Amman calling for the dissolution of the parliament.

On Tuesday, the demonstrators called for political reforms, a constitutional monarchy, and the release of political prisoners, and accused MPs of hindering reforms.

"This parliament is not fit to approve any legal or constitutional amendments," AFP quoted Islamic Action Front (IAF) chief Hamzah Mansur as saying in a letter to Senate President Taher Masri, who heads a recently formed commission to initiate a national dialogue on political reforms.

"It is obvious that deputies are uptight about reform demands. It is very important now to dissolve parliament and call for early elections. Otherwise, the talk about reforms will be useless," Mansur added.

Mansur criticized Senate President Masri's commission "because such a body should not be headed by senators, who are appointed by the king."

"The need to have a modern electoral law to produce MPs, who truly represent the people, (and) enjoys a national consensus," Mansur said.

The IAF, the political arm of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, boycotted parliamentary elections in November 2010 in a protest over constituency boundaries set up under the current electoral law.

Calls by the IAF and other groups to dissolve the parliament have increased, particularly after Amman MP Mohammad Kuz described pro-reform protesters as "corrupt villains."

"We will not allow such corrupt villains to lead demonstrations. They have called for regime reforms, and they might demand regime change. If the government cannot stop them, we will do it ourselves,” Kuz said in the parliament on Thursday.

Inspired by the popular revolts in Tunisia and Egypt, Jordanians have been protesting for weeks, demanding political and economic reforms.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/168931.html.