'Constitutional Court to look into House's oversight over municipalities'

AMMAN — The Lower House Integrity Committee has decided to ask the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the Chamber's monitoring of municipalities, including the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM). 

Informed parliamentary sources told The Jordan Times on Saturday that Integrity Committee Chair MP Amjad Al Khattab (Maan, 1st District) has already asked the House presidency to send the question to the Constitutional Court.

The sources added that the "refusal" of GAM's officials to attend House committee meetings was the reason behind the panel's move.

In previous House sessions, several MPs criticised Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji for ignoring their requests to meet with parliamentary panels.

MP Yihya Saud (Amman, 2nd District) has charged that Biltaji has disregarded three invitations by the Palestine Committee to discuss the conditions of the Hussein, Wihdat and Nasr refugee camps for Palestinian refugees.

Dismayed also over the mayor’s failure to attend House committee meetings, Deputy Zakariya Sheikh (Islamic Centrist Party list) described Biltaji as an “immune figure”, wondering why Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour is not obliging him to cooperate with lawmakers.

Without giving further details, head of GAM's legal affairs department, Samar Hiyari, acknowledged the House's and Audit Bureau's monitoring over the municipality. 

"The dispute is over the measures," Hiyari noted.

Other GAM officials declined to comment.