Day: January 3, 2022

Cold and partly cloudy weather conditions are forecast to prevail countrywide on Monday, with scattered showers in the western parts of the Kingdom and northwesterly moderate to brisk winds, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The weather department warned of slippery roads in areas expecting rainfall, and of low-visibility due to fog formation in the mountainous areas.

Similar weather conditions will persist on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a chance for rain in the northern and central regions, along with westerly moderate winds picking up at times.

The highs in Amman and other highlands across Jordan today will range between 13 and 10 degrees Celsius, dropping at night to 4C or even 2C in the southern highlands. In the Gulf city of Aqaba, it will be warmer with mercury levels reaching a high of 19C and a low of 10C.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Arab Parliament Monday condemned the “armed robbery and piracy” by the Houthi militia on a UAE-flagged cargo ship off the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.

In a statement, the Arab Parliament warned of the danger the Houthi militia action posed to the freedom of maritime navigation and international trade in the Strait of Bab al-Mandab and the southern Red Sea.

It called the Houthi attack “a flagrant violation of international laws and norms, and a dangerous development that threatens the security and safety of maritime navigation in this vital region of the world.”

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Lower House of Parliament on Monday passed amendments to the Constitution giving His Majesty the King the exclusive power to appoint or accept the resignation of and dismiss the Chief Justice, head of the Sharia Judicial Council, Grand Mufti, Royal Court Chief, Minister of the Court and the King’s advisors.

In a public vote, the deputies, by a majority of 115 votes, agreed to add these powers to the second paragraph of Article 40 of the constitution, which defines cases in which the king exercises exclusive powers.

After the amendment, paragraph 2 of Article 40 of the Constitution reads as follows: “The King shall exercise the powers vested in him by Royal Decree without such Decree be countersigned by the Prime Minister and the Minister or Ministers concerned in the following cases: the selection of the Crown Prince, appointment of the Regent, appointment of the president and members of the Senate, dissolution of the Senate and acceptance of the resignation or dismissal of any of its members, appointment of the head of the Judicial Council and acceptance of his/her resignation, appointment of the president and members of the Constitutional Court and acceptance of their resignations, in addition to the appointment, acceptance of the resignations, and dismissal of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director of the Intelligence Department, Director of the Public Security Department, Chief Justice, head of the Sharia Judicial Council, Grand Mufti, Chief the Royal Court, Minister of the Court, and the King’s advisors.

The lawmakers struck out an article added by the government related to the King’s appointment of the two members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Council.

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh said after the vote that the amendments related to the King’s powers are “completely in line with the Constitution”, explaining that the amendments aim to “distance these posts from partisan bickering to preserve their impartiality”.

The Prime Minister indicated that the amendment comes with the aim of reaching a partisan government, and thus separating the parliamentary function (legislation and oversight) from the executive function.

He pointed out that the Minister of the Royal Court is a job title within the organizational structure of the Royal Court, and he/she is not a member of the Council of Ministers.

The lawmakers also passed, by a majority of 117, an amendment to Article 44 of the Constitution, which now reads as follows: “No Minister, while holding his/her Ministerial office, may purchase or lease any State property even if the sale or lease thereof has been offered in public auction. He/she shall not, while holding his/her Ministerial office, become a member of the board of directors of any company or take part in any commercial or financial transaction or receive a salary from any company.”

The amendment of this article was limited to adding the phrase “while holding his/her Ministerial office” after the minister’s word at the beginning of the article, and replacing the phrase “Government property” with “State property.”

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the Israeli government is turning a blind eye to peace efforts through stepping up settlement construction on occupied Palestinian lands and called for international intervention.

In a statement, the ministry condemned “ongoing settlement crimes and grabs of Palestinian-owned property to fatten and expand existing settlements and build more settler outposts.”

It also decried Jewish settlers for setting up a new outpost northwest of Jericho in the occupied West Bank and seizing and fencing off large nearby properties, as well as constructing a new settlement road west of Bethlehem.

It said that successive Israeli governments had persisted in annexing the occupied West Bank through settlement construction within the sight and hearing of the world, and demanded international action and not to turn a blind eye on Israel, the occupying power, in its attempts to impose new facts on the ground to ward off the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The ministry said it was following up on settlement crimes with the International Criminal Court and UN bodies, the Human Rights Council and world leaders and officials so that the world community assumes its legal and moral responsibility to implement international resolutions, notably UN resolution 2334.

In the latest breaches, Israeli occupation authorities handed orders for the demolition of eight Palestinian homes, some inhabited and others are under construction, a mosque and a facility in Nahalin village, west of Bethlehem.

In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli municipal authorities issued a notification for the demolition of a mosque under construction in the village of Issawiyeh.

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY

Jordan and Saudi foreign ministers Monday held talks in Amman on increasing cooperation between Jordan and Saudi Arabia and coordination on regional crises.

The meeting underscored the Jordan-Saudi “strategic” ties and emphasised the importance of the institutionalisation of bilateral cooperation on investment, development and environment.

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal al-Saud discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and emphasised that the solution to the conflict should be based on the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

They highlighted that a just solution should meet the demands of the Palestinians, especially their right to establish a state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On Yemen and the Gulf security, Safadi said that Jordan stands in solidarity with Saudi, as the country grapples with threats to its stability. He voiced Jordan’s condemnation of the Houthi group’s attacks against Saudi’s territories.

They also discussed Iraq, Libya, the Syrian crisis and the developments in Afghanistan. The Iran nuclear threat and its regional policy were not absent from the talks.

Safadi told journalists following the talks that the Jordan-Saudi talks are expanding and that the meeting discussed many topics, which are being deliberated by the concerned parties.

He highlighted that Jordan holds high Saudi Arabia’s support for Jordan, as the Kingdom has been a staunch supporter of Saudi Arabia. Safadi said, “As his Majesty King Abdulla II said, our nation is one and our fate is common, and we are going forward with cooperation on whatever serves our interests and those of our Arab world.”

Safadi, who is also deputy prime minister, commended Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bring an end to the Yemen crisis.

He reiterated that for Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian cause has been and will continue to be a “central” cause, adding that the two countries are keen to find a political breakthrough that would ensure the rights of Palestinians based on the two-state solution.

Safadi said that he and his Saudi counterpart agree and share the same position on Libya, Syria and Iraq, highlighting the two countries will continue their efforts to solve regional crises. He added that they see eye to eye on the importance of activating the pan-Arab role in solving regional crises.

He wished the best of luck for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030, voicing Jordan’s full support.

For his part, Prince Faisal al-Saud said that Jordan and Saudi’s ties are characterised by mutual respect and are founded on cooperation. He added the meeting was “fruitful and constructive.”

“We have discussed the political and security challenges our region faces, and we have emphasised the need to bolster cooperation and coordination on these challenges…,” he added.

He highlighted Jordan’s “important” part in supporting the Palestinians to secure their rights and the Kingdom’s support for Saudi Arabia against the terrorist attacks by the Houthi militias.

Al-Saud said, “We have iterated that our hands as Arabs are extended to the brothers in Iran in case they respond and start to address the Arab concerns about security and stability in the region.”

SOURCE: JORDAN NEWS AGENCY