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'Gov't not withdrawing support for political parties but system will change'

By JT - Apr 24,2019 - Last updated at Apr 24,2019

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah meets with members of the Tajdid (renewal) Bloc on Tuesday. The meeting was part of an effort to make changes to the political party funding by-law (Petra photo)

AMMAN — Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah on Monday said that the government would not withdraw funding for political parties, but that the funding mechanism would change.

Maaytah, in a meeting with members of the Tajdid (renewal) Bloc, said that party funding criteria worldwide are tied directly to a party’s activity, its involvement in elections and the number of votes and seats it receives.

The minister clarified that the purpose of developing the political party funding by-law is to adopt election participation as the determinant of funding. He added that funding must be provided justly through a set of objective standards, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Maaytah stressed that the Kingdom cannot continue its adoption of the current party funding by-law, pointing out that even 10 years after its adoption, it has still failed to achieve its goal of establishing a Parliament founded on collective political action, carried out by various political parties and blocs.

He added that it could also not fulfil its role in forming a parliamentary government with programmes that would allow parties to play an active role within entities such as the Parliament, governorates and municipal councils.

“We are open to genuine discussions; we have not reinvented the wheel. This is what happens in all countries around the world: we might not agree on everything but there are various areas of agreement, and we will not disagree on everything,” stated Maaytah.

During the meeting, Secretary General of the Reform and Tajdid Bloc Mazen Riyal said that parties may disagree on how, but not on the need to work for the betterment of Jordan.

Tajdid Bloc Spokesperson Abdul Fattah Kayyali said that discussions were positive and that areas of agreement were broad, affirming his party’s faith in dialogue and its keenness to reach agreements and understandings with the government, Petra reported.

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