Jordan king pledges reform following protests

Jordan's premier vows to bring 'true and gradual' reforms as opposition threatens more pressure.

Middle East Online

'The regime must understand that it must reform to survive' AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday discussed his kingdom's reform plans with visiting Swedish and Portuguese foreign ministers, saying they are key to the country's future. The king talked about "efforts and plans to enhance Jordan's reform drive, noting that political and economic reforms are important to the future of the kingdom and the region," the state-run Petra news agency reported. The top diplomats of Sweden and Portugal, Carl Bildt and Luis Amado, also held talks with their Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh and Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit, Petra said. Jordan's opposition threatened on Saturday to increase the pressure on the government, accusing it of not taking reforms seriously, a day after several thousand people demonstrated in Amman in a "Day of Anger" to call for political reforms. Jordanians have been protesting against the rising cost of living, but their numbers and demands escalated after the ouster of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January 14 to include political reforms and the fall of the government. Jordan's premier pledged on Sunday to bring "true and gradual" reforms, a day after the opposition threatened more pressure on the government, accusing it of not taking the process seriously. "The government is not practicing a policy of containment. It is implementing a methodology of true and gradual reforms to achieve national objectives," Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit told MPs in his policy statement. "We will continue our drive for political reforms, rationally review socio-economic policies and tackle errors and failures," the state-run Petra news agency quoted him as saying in parliament. King Abdullah II sacked the government of Samir Rifai on February 1, and named Bakhit as the head of a cabinet tasked with introducing general reforms. "The government will review laws which form the foundation of democracy and political life, including the electoral law," said Bakhit, who is seeking a parliamentary vote of confidence in his leadership. "The government will comprehensively evaluate and review press and freedom of expression laws and take effective measures to address past errors because it realises the need for a free press." The powerful Islamic Action Front (IAF), the largest opposition party, said on Saturday the regime needs to introduce reforms in order to survive. "The regime must understand that it must reform to survive, and that the longer it delays, the louder the calls for change will become," Zaki Bani Rsheid, a member of IAF, said.