Why Jordan Desperately Needs to Have Free Elections Now!

To rid itself from the incompetence of some MPs…

A majority of MPs on Monday called for “cancelling all understandings and agreements” with Denmark, Norway, New Zealand and other countries, where newspapers published slanderous drawings of the Prophet Mohammad.

During an urgent House session, 64 deputies signed a petition also demanding a “ban on imports of products from these countries.” The petition, however, did not specify severing political ties.

Urging a nationwide boycott of Danish and Norwegian products, the legislators called for an urgent Arab summit and an Islamic conference to discuss the issue.

Deputy Khalil Attiyeh (Amman First District), who circulated the petitions among MPs, provided the House with a detailed list of products exported to Jordan from Denmark, Norway and New Zealand.

also, as if cancelling all understandings and agreements with Denmark, Norway and New Zeland, wasn’t enough for a day work…

The MPs were also very critical of the two weekly tabloids that published the cartoons, demanding legal action against the papers’ editors.

Jihad Momani, the former editor of Shihan, and Hashem Khalidi, the editor of Al Mihwar, were rearrested on Monday, a day after they appeared in court for defaming the Prophet Mohammad, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ziad Fariz told legislators during the session.

…A judge on Sunday released the two men pending their trials, but they were rearrested after an appeal from a civil prosecutor.

If found guilty, they could be sentenced to three years.

“It will be awkward that two editors walk freely while we are leading a national campaign condemning the Europeans who published the cartoons,” said Deputy Hisham Qaisi, a member of the Legal Committee at the House. [source]

It never ever ceases to amaze me how wide the gap between government and people can be. This is an independent matter and the government should not get involved. The people can speak for themselves if they want, emphasis on the word ‘want’.

Parliament should be put out of session, out of retirement. At least until we get to vote again. If that ever happens in my lifetime.

13 Comments

  • But Naseem those deputies were elected by the people. I don’t understand the ambiguity of the title.

    Regardless of their actions, they represent the people who elected them in the first place.

    Moh’d

  • Big K, prayer

    Mohammad, not really, in such a political system they represent 98% themselves and 2% the family members who voted for them.

  • Yeah I listened to parts of that ‘urgent’ parliament session yesterday, and was so frustrated and infuriated I just wanted to bang my head against the steering!

    If I want to boycott danish products, I should at least be able to make that choice by myself, and not have it made for me by the government! I want to go into the store and see Lurpak and then decide if I want to buy it or not!

    Uffff… I’m soooo tired of what’s happening! But I agree with Big K, I’m not sure elections now or next year are going to bring a different result!!

  • I wonder if the boycott on the official level is going to include the United States now that some American newspapers have published the cartoons. I for one don’t even expect American car dealerships in the gulf to be running out of business any time in the near future, or that American rice all of a sudden stops selling.

  • And get another Hamas like in the government?

    I say no to this Democracy, because democracy should generates democracy not a theocracy that consider democracy absolete afterwards.

    The people of the ME are not ready for this! Democracy should generate a democratic government!
    And please Tarawneh don’t tell me the IAF are moderate and responsible!
    Dude Hamasis and there alikes barely memorize a Quranic verse. I personally think Khalid Mash’al drinks Whisky (Okay I’m just being prejuidce here)

    And yes there is a huge gap!That is why most Arab regimes are acting surprisingly enough with some balls (add to this Denmark is small nation), even though the whole matter is wrong!
    Don’t be surprised seeing Arab leaders in mosques 24/7 from now and on.

    Just for the record : Denmak produces more than half of the world’s Insulin!

    Long live Lurpak!
    Happy days for Dairy companies in Saudi Arabia I would say…happy days indeed.

  • If there is any official government sponsored boycott, Jordan could be in serious trouble with the WTO. Denmark has already met with the EU leadership to discuss steps that can be taken, and one of them is to take their case to the WTO if any country’s government officially backs the boycott. If it stays among the people and not commissioned/encouraged by the government, then it’s ok, but once government gets involved, it might get serious.
    (more on this here: http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-152119-16&type=News)

  • Man,I think that you are really a confused person. You were crying a week ago about those who wants to attachk your prophet. Today you are calling the government to stop acting. Do you know what you want?

  • Anon, with all due respect i think it’s you who is perhaps a bit confused. As I’ve stated many times over in the past few days: I am against our government initiating boycotts and affecting trade or even making this into a federal case when technically it is between the people and a danish newspaper at the very core.

  • I don’t know what kind of government the Jordanians would elect if they had absolutely no restrictions on voting for anybody and if the elected government had real authority, but when it comes to parties like Hamas I should mention. . .

    While many presume that the United States was entirely disappointed (the politicians were surprised, definately) in the outcome of the Palestinian elections, there is a school of thought in the here that says Muslims need to elect these Islamist parties like Hamas and let them have a chance and let them inevitably fail. Otherwise, without giving these individuals a shot, Muslims will continue to be drawn to the enticement of the Islamist groups.

    Of course, the difficulty is ensuring that the Islamists can still be voted out of office if and when they fail. That’s the tricky part.

Your Two Piasters: