Jordan rejects govt.-proposed reforms

Fri Sep 9, 2011

Anti-government protesters have poured into the streets of the Jordanian capital, Amman, to reject constitutional reforms proposed by the government.

Protesters say the amendments proposed by the Royal Commission do not meet their demanded reforms. Jordanian lawmakers are currently debating the proposed constitutional reforms.

The proposed reforms include the creation of an independent commission to oversee elections, lowering the age of candidates for parliament from 35 to 25 and limiting the jurisdiction of the military state security court.

But the opposition has described the proposed amendments as insufficient, saying they do not meet their key demands for a new electoral law and an elected prime minister.

"We rejected these amendments and we will never admit them as a constitution as long as it does not address the essence of the crisis," said protester Ali Abu Sukar.

Protesters also demanded Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit's resignation, an end to government corruption and the dissolution of parliament.

Smaller demonstrations were also reported in other parts of Jordan.

Jordan has faced anti-government rallies demanding reforms and an end to corruption since January.

In June, in a bid to appease protesters, King Abdullah II announced some concessions, including the formation of future governments that were based on an elected parliamentary majority rather than one appointed by the monarch.

However, he later said it may take two to three years to put an elected government in place.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.com/detail/198244.html.