AMMAN - Deputies on Wednesday began deliberations on the Cabinet’s policy statement on the basis of which the government has requested a vote of confidence, with several MPs expressing doubt about its “capability and sincerity” in addressing current issues.

Others who took the podium yesterday argued that the action plan is “not detailed enough” and should be modified to achieve the envisioned reform.

MP Mamdouh Abbadi (Amman, 3rd District), who said he would cast a “nay” vote for Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit’s government, noted that the current Cabinet is incapable of bringing about political and economic reform, accusing Bakhit’s previous Cabinet of corruption and manipulation of parliamentary and municipal elections.

“If political reform is the title of the next stage, how can it be carried out by a man who has never been a member of a political party, professional association, civil society organisation or even a scout group?” Abbadi said.

“All the action plans of consecutive governments are well phrased and coherent theoretically, but when it comes to practice, things fall apart,” MP Abdul Karim Dughmi (Mafraq, 1st District), charged.

He pointed out that Bakhit’s former Cabinet did not fulfil its promises and turned its back on the Lower House once it gained its vote of confidence.

“Though this government has competent ministers, I will give it a ‘nay’ vote,” Dughmi said.

But other deputies praised the government’s action plan, indicating that they would throw their support behind the ministerial team.

Among them was MP Saleh Lozi (Amman, 5th District), who described the policy statement as “neither general nor loose, but considerably detailed and in line with local and regional developments”, noting that “if the action plan is implemented in full, it will bring about a quantitative leap”.

Speaking on behalf of the Democratic Assembly bloc, Deputy Bassam Haddadin (Zarqa, 1st District), highlighted that democratic reform has become an urgent matter due to “the winds of change blowing across the region”.

Noting that the reform process in the Kingdom has gone through ups and downs over the past years because of “narrow personal interests”, he said all citizens want now is change and real participation in the decision-making process.

“Is the current government qualified enough to achieve the long-awaited reforms?… we are not fully assured,” Haddadin said, noting that “the government’s action plan is not linked to fixed time frames and does not address constitutional reform, which is the key to political reform”.

The Zarqa deputy clarified that “by constitutional reform, we do not mean the constitutional monarchy, because the ruling system in Jordan is by definition a constitutional monarchy”.

Haddadin proposed some amendments to the Constitution, which are “necessary ingredients” of the reform process, including establishing a constitutional court, extending the ordinary session of Parliament and cancelling the article that gives the government authority to enact temporary laws.

He said the political reform programmes listed in the government’s action plan are “inadequate”, explaining that without constitutional reform that enhances the Lower House and gives lawmakers a role in forming Cabinets, there will be no “real reform”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Abdullah Ensour (Balqa, 1st District) said economic reform should be given priority over political reform, adding that although the government’s political team is “competent”, those managing the economic file are “not qualified and lack a clear vision to address the upcoming difficult stages”.

He also pointed out that the government referred corruption cases to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) instead of first sending them to the Lower House, which has prior authority over all corruption cases.

The ACC should work independently and not under the executive authority, Ensour said, asking “how the head of the ACC can interrogate the government that increases or decreases his salary”.

He also referred to the Cabinet’s support for the establishment of a teachers association, an issue that has been always handled with vagueness and confusion, noting that some governments said the move is unconstitutional.

“The solution for the uncertainty in determining the legality of this case and similar ones lies in establishing a constitutional court,” Ensour said.

Northern Badia MP Mazen Qadi, who spoke on behalf of the National Labour bloc, also highlighted the absence of “tangible solutions” to economic woes, such as unemployment, in the government’s action plan.

Salah Al-Din Sabra (Amman, 4th District) proposed nationalising the Kingdom’s major companies as a solution to the economic problems.

“Destructive economic policies introduced by new liberals in the past contributed to the difficult circumstances experienced by most citizens these days,” Deputy Abla Abu Olbeh (Amman) claimed, adding that “the government should control the local market and protect citizens from greedy traders”.

Combating corruption was the focus of Deputies Asmaa Ahmad Ruawdieh (Maan), Zeid Shqeirat (Irbid, 1st District), Kheirallah Taha (Zarqa 1st District) and Hamid Batayneh (Irbid, 1st District), who called on the government to put an end to this phenomenon that hinders development in the Kingdom.

“Public debt is not caused by the implementation of development projects, but is a direct result of corruption,” MP Abdul Jalil Sleimat (Madaba, 2nd District) said.

Southern Badia Deputies Hamad Hajaya and Awwad Zawaydeh and Nawaf Khawaldeh (Mafraq, 1st District) highlighted the government’s demographic make-up.

Noting that the Cabinet does not have ministers from their regions and tribes, they accused the government of “marginalising” them.

Forty-three Deputies took the podium yesterday, with deliberations scheduled to continue today.

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