Oversight institutions should be immune from partisan influence — PM

AMMAN — Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on Monday said that the draft amendments to the National Centre for Human Rights (NCHR) that the government submitted to the Lower House are in "full harmony" with partisan empowerment and take into consideration that oversight institutions and their officials do not have partisan affiliations.

Speaking during a Lower House session, Khasawneh said that this approach guarantees the neutrality of oversight institutions just like security apparatuses, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF), judges, administrative governors, members of diplomatic missions and the governor of the Central Bank of Jordan, and others, especially that such officials represent the entire nation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

The premier said that the proposed amendments, which stipulate the NCHR president or commissioner general not to be part of any political party, accord with the Political Parties Law that officials of oversight institutions must not have partisan affiliations.

He also said that there is “confusion” between those who fight the executive or legislative work from one side, and those who assume the leaderships of oversight institutions entrusted with issuing reports on the status of the human rights, financial conditions or administrative procedures in the state,  where these institutions should be spared from any partisan conflicts.

Khasawneh reiterated that oversight institutions that supervise and issue reports on human rights and basic freedoms should be neutral and consequently there should not be any officials with partisan affiliations.