Lawmakers’ letter to King, critical of government, ‘gaining support’

AMMAN — A letter that a group of MPs plans to send to His Majesty King Abdullah on the government’s performance and other issues, is gaining “good” support within the Lower House’s corridors, a deputy said Thursday. 

In the letter, MPs present their view on a variety of local, regional and international issues, Deputy Amjad Majali said, adding: “It also contains a set of suggestions to help Jordan come out of the tunnel.”

In its largest part, the document highlights what the signatories see as the government’s “disappointing performance and almost zero achievements”, Majali said in remarks to The Jordan Times.

“Tax collection and resorting to citizens’ pockets is the government’s only achievement at the economic level, let alone its failure to make any political achievement,” the deputy added.

With the government’s “proved inability” to solve problems, Majali said that the authors of the seven- to nine-page letter have included suggestions to help solve the country’s “long-standing” political, economic and social woes.

He also explained that no request is made from the King to dismiss the government.

“To dismiss or keep the government in office is a matter that is solely decided by His Majesty,” the MP said.

Asked about the number of MPs who so far signed the letter, Majali said: “The move is gaining good support.”

“It should be noted that the letter is not to be sent in the name of the House. It is an initiative taken by a group of lawmakers.”

Well-informed sources told The Jordan Times Thursday that around 50 deputies had signed the letter out of the 150 Chamber members. 

The House’s Reform bloc has declared that it would not support the letter if the executive authority met a set of conditions.

The 17-member bloc’s spokesperson Amjad Maslamani said the bloc wants the government to freeze the new admission criteria for public universities, monitor prices effectively during the holy month of Ramadan, stop increasing fuel prices, reconsider the recruitment policy for senior posts and raise salaries of public and military employees. 

“If the government agrees to meet these demands, we will not sign the letter,” he said, adding that his bloc approves the content of the letter.