Lower House approves establishment of National Security and Foreign Policy Council

AMMAN — The Lower House on Thursday gave the green light to establish the National Security and Foreign Policy Council.

The Chamber, with a majority of 102 votes out of 111, approved amendments to Article 122 of the Constitution stipulating that the council shall convene upon a Royal invitation, with the presence of the King or the presence of whomever he delegates; the council’s decisions become enforceable once approved by the King, and the council’s affairs shall be organised according to a bylaw.

According to the amendment, the members of the council include the prime minister, the ministers of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Interior, army chief, director of the Department of Intelligence, director of the Public Security Directorate, in addition to two members appointed by the King under a Royal Decree, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Also on Thursday, the Lower House, with a majority of 104 votes out of 112, approved the draft amendments to the Constitution. 

MPs passed amendments to Article 76 and Article 52 to instill the cancellation of dual mandate, i.e. no person shall be allowed to be a member of the Parliament’s chambers and a holder of a public office simultaneously. 

The Lower House last Sunday began deliberations over draft constitutional amendments, including 30 articles, which were approved after nine continuous sessions.

Lower House Speaker Abdulkarim Dughmi said that the first batch of the constitutional amendments, which is part of the political modernisation process, were concluded, noting that deliberations over the election and political parties’ drafts laws will begin shortly.