How government can make a difference

Most people in our society, both young and old, still want change. Overall, they are not happy with what has transpired so far, across board.

To be sure, they are grateful for the small but significant changes that have taken place over the years in a variety of spheres, and they are equally grateful for the country’s stability and sense of solidarity.

At the same time, they aspire for a higher level of performance, and more substantial development and progress in essentially all key sectors: political, economic, social, educational, environmental, etc.

People in our society, unlike what some would have us believe, look in two directions at once.

On the one hand, they look at our neighbourhood and feel appreciative and thankful that the Arab Spring events spared us the horrors we witness around.

On the other hand, they look a bit farther and wish to have the bliss that many developed societies are enjoying.

It is a mistake, therefore, to assume that people look — or should look — only in one direction.

Aspiration is not at all negative, and as Thomas Jefferson aptly put it, it is not only “life” that is a right, but also “liberty” and the “pursuit of happiness”.

Like people anywhere in the world, Jordanians want a higher standard of living, better income, lower unemployment and poverty figures, a more effective educational system, a more elegant transportation system, civilised public gardens and parks, better sidewalks, less nepotism and corruption, more transparency and accountability, among others.

These and many other fundamental issues have been pending for a long time, and we have been speaking and writing about them for decades, to little or no avail.

Now that a largely unpopular government and unpopular Parliament have departed, and we have a new government and new Parliamentarians will be elected soon, one wonders if anything will change.

Several governments and parliaments have come and gone with little or no impact on the main aspirations of the people.

Will the new government and Parliament be any different? Will their impact be any better?

One realises, of course, that the new government, that carries more than two-thirds of its members from the previous government, is transitional and has a specific, narrow mandate to fulfil. Therefore, one is not to expect much in the immediate term from it.

One also realises that the new Parliament deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt, in light of the new Elections Law.

We need to suspend our disbelief and wait until after the election of the new Parliament to start evaluating and judging.

At this stage, we need to debate what the government and people can and should do to ensure that things are different this time and that government and Parliament make a difference.