MPs criticise Amman mayor for failing to attend panel meetings

AMMAN — The Lower House’s Tuesday session saw scathing criticism of Amman Mayor Aqel Biltaji, with some MPs accusing him of ignoring their requests to meet with parliamentary panels.

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

Saud went further to accuse Biltaji of abuse of office, charging that the mayor has awarded contracts to his relatives to implement construction projects in Amman without floating tenders.

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

For MP Mohammad Qatatsheh (Tafileh, 1st District), Biltaji is acting with an “attitude as if he were above the law”.

The session also saw tension under the Dome when several lawmakers called for continuing the discussion of the government’s economic policies, which was on the agenda of Sunday’s session. The meeting on Sunday was adjourned for lack of quorum.

First Deputy Speaker MP Mustafa Amawi (Islamic Centrist Party list) turned down the request, adhering instead to the session’s agenda. 

Angry with Amawi’s decision, some MPs walked out to the gallery.

Proceeding with the session’s agenda, the House referred the 2015 amendments to the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission Law and the Civil Aviation Law to its energy and transport panels respectively.

The House also referred the 2015 amendments to the Banks and Central Bank of Jordan laws to a joint panel from its finance and investment committees.