A vision for reform

Marwan Muasher, former ambassador of Jordan to the United States, delivered a public lecture about his vision for reform in Jordan, and how it can be realised.

The lecture came as part of the signing ceremony of his book, “The Second Arab Awakening”, borrowing from George Habib Antonius, the Jerusalem historian, the title of his 1938 book about the first anti-Turkish Arab Awakening.

Muasher’s ideas regarding reform in Jordan and the Arab world were well-formulated.

He is against the controversial one-man, one-vote elections law, which made large political blocs boycott the elections over the last decade, making the country lose their contribution to political life.

Many analysts ascribe to this law the emergence of some deputies who do not represent the collective voice of the Jordanian people, but are keen to achieve the satisfaction of their constituencies, who demand government services and nothing more.

Islamists and secular parties condemned the law as being a tool to manipulate the election process.

Muasher included in his book some of the ideas he advocated years ago and which he termed “The National Agenda”.

That agenda led, a decade ago, all orthodox tribal leaders, reactionary blocs, hardcore conservatives, power peddlers and well-known corrupt figures to consolidate their influence and lead a vitriolic barrage against Muasher, which led to his ouster from his government post as a deputy prime minister and departure from the country.

Now, the man says he is coming more determined than before to settle back in Jordan and start a reform movement.

His Majesty King Abdullah is keen to see drastic change in our society, to reach a level that this century demands.

Muasher says that the King is a strong supporter for reform. But certain political groups and cliques in this country will be denied financial and economic privileges when genuine reform materialises.

Those cliques play on all issues, whether sectarianism, racism, factionalism or tribalism, to achieve their objective of continuing to play a leading role on the Amman stage.

Jordan would have been a role model for many Arab countries had the National Agenda provisions been applied years ago. The Arab Spring would have saved many capitals had Muasher’s recommendations been applied.

But being an intellectual and a liberal thinker, he incurred the wrath of a whole class of political mercenaries and profiteers who do not wish to shake the delicate balance of their status quo, out of which they milk the main resources of their homeland.

Many articles in the Arabic press last week criticised Muasher and his progressive reform platform. More mosque preachers will follow that lead.

The tribal hegemony on public affairs will unleash its forces to silence a new voice in the wilderness.