So What Are Our Parliament Members Doing On Their Vacation?

The legislative session is over and MPs are on holiday. After doing pretty much nothing about helping the average Jordanian deal with rising prices, low wages, and fuel hikes, the MPs have decided to take this time off to help themselves. According to Ammon, MPs are asking for their wages to be increased, their cars to be exempt from duty tax, and to receive university scholarships for their constituents, as outlined in a new memo. MP, Ibrahim Amoush, who seems to be spearheading the campaign told Ammon that based on the responsibilities of MPs and rising prices, compensation they receive is no longer enough to cover the “needs of the people” and these raises are not for MPs but will rather “go to the people”.

The logic behind that last sentence may seem a bit confusing, but the rationale seems to be that some constituents from different parts of Jordan will come to Amman, where all the government-related departments and ministries are, and having no preset appointments they will seek out their MPs, who will go along with them to “help them out” (in other words, they’re also admitting to being agents of wasta). Therefore, what the MP spends in terms of time and money on helping his or her constituents isn’t working out for them financially.

So why run for public office?

I don’t know where to begin with this one. These guys make at least 2,000JDs and they can still work a secondary job in the private sector, unlike other government positions that ban such activity. So I really don’t know where to begin with this one.

Seriously.

14 Comments

  • I would definitely second amjad.

    I could never get the idea of “if your father is in the army then you get a seat in a college”, but i still get it more than this.

    These news are surely worth publishing, everywhere, I dont know if they can be read in other newspaper.

    I hope the government will raise their earning , free them from taxes, afford them college seats, and all they ask for. SERIOUSLY

    by the way, what Jbour said is even funnier than that of Amoush

  • I say lets investigate more into this, and bring more attention to it. But we will probably be prosecuted by the parliment itslef. and we might get a new law passed that prohibits even opening these subjects. or even better a law that every person that talks bout MP’s will pay a fine and that will go to the MP’s themselves 😛

  • Ya 7aram, ga663ou galby! The poor MPs are suffering from the costs of living :'(

    What about the fortune each and every one of them spent to get his ass in the parliament?!

  • But at least they got upset at Denmark, right? That must have helped a few people…

    (Sorry for the sarcasm, it’s just the only way I can deal with news like this…again and again…saa3idni ya rab)

  • It’s spring and they feel the urge to explore while the country is in bloom. Perhaps they have a new secret strategy which on their own time takes them out looking into what kind of work needs to be done as they connect with the plebs while trolling around the country.

  • well what do u expect .. they spend a ton of money to get there, now theyre trying to make that money back .. its an investment 😀

  • Now this is funny:
    ينوي المكتب الدائم لمجلس النواب توجيه رسالة الى السفارة الايطالية في عمان يُحتج فيها على ما ورد في كلمة السفير الايطالي خلال حفل اقامته جمعية الصداقة البرلمانية الاردنية الايطالية. السفير الذي استاء من غياب النواب عن الحفل دعا في كلمته الشعب الاردني الى عدم انتخابهم مرة اخرى.

    From alarabalyawm.
    You have to wonder who comes up with this stuff?

  • Oh man, I feel sorry for our poor MPs, they cant pay for the Gas, actualy they don’t pay for anything! One of the reasons the MPs were duying to get elected was the personal benefits they will gain when getting elected. And I mean business benefits as with their new power they can manage to run their businesses with more freedom and twist some laws as well. I personaly know some MPs who are currently doing this. I’m glad I never voted for a male in the last elections!
    screw them!

  • It is very expensive to buy a few thousand votes and win the elections, the salary, retirement, benefits and power to embezzle are a return on investment. If MP’s want a raise they should give up retirement benefits. anyone else needs to work for the government for 30+ years to get it not just 4!! o ba3dain the same way these people were able to afford knafeh and manasef for at least 6 months they can continue to sponser a3ba2 el jakha el kathabeh tab3et-hom

    You’re average Jordanian voter is a hypocrite to complain about the MP’s asking for a personal raise, most got their bonus 100 JDs in advance.

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