Category: General

The Lower House Tuesday debated draft amendments to the Jordanian constitution during a session chaired by Speaker Abdul Karim Dughmi, in the attendance of Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh and cabinet members.

Lawmakers approved the amendment of Item (C) of Paragraph 1 of Article 61 of the Constitution, giving the decision-maker the power to select Constitutional Court members from specialists (not a single specialist) who meet the conditions for membership in the Senate, while increasing the length of service in the legal profession required for appointment in the Constitutional Court from 15 to 20 years, in addition to changing the name of the Higher Court of Justice to the Higher Administrative Court.

The House also amended Article 64 on the conditions for membership of the Senate to include: prime ministers, former ministers, those who occupied leadership positions, Lower House speakers, presidents and judges of the Court of Cassation, Supreme Administrative Court, Sharia Supreme Court and Constitutional Court, in addition to retired officers from the rank of major general onwards, former MPs who were elected at least twice to parliament, and those who are similar to those who have obtained the people’s trust and accreditation with their deeds and services to the nation.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Senate President Faisal Fayez Tuesday received the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission’s annual report for the year 2020 on its achievements and proposals to enhance its role and develop its work to protect public money and address financial and administrative corruption.

During a meeting with commission President Mohannad Hejazi and members, Fayez said that the Senate is keen on cooperation with the anti-graft watchdog and will back proposals related to legislation to enhance its role.

He praised the commission’s role to promote the values of integrity and justice and address the various forms of corruption, pledging to remove legislative barriers that hinder its work.

For his part, the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Commission head briefed the Senate President on his institution’s tasks and role to protect public money and combat financial and administrative corruption, stressing the importance of cooperation with the Senate.

He outlined the key achievements contained in the annual report and the complaints it had dealt with.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) on Tuesday signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch a project to reduce water loss and enhance the efficiency of surface water usage in the Jordan Valley.

The project will be funded by the US agency at a cost of $15,340 million.

Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar said during the signing ceremony that his ministry seeks to develop and enhance water resources, reduce water loss and provide drinking and irrigation water for citizens and farmers, particularly in the Jordan Valley.

He said the ministry is committed to supporting farmers and providing them with all capabilities to maximize the national agriculture output, which positively reflects on both farmers and local communities in line with the national water strategy.

Water loss reduction projects, he pointed out, can also boost water reserves, upgrade water facilities in the Jordan Valley and maintain water and irrigation infrastructure.

JVA Secretary General Manar Mahasneh cited the Fixed Amount Reimbursement Agreement (FARA6) projects pack that involves implementing a number of projects in the Jordan Valley at a cost of $14 million donated by the USAID with a JVA contribution of $1.4 million.

The total value of the FARA projects conducted by the water sector is $152 million, she noted, adding that the new projects seek to increase the amount of water by about 8 million cubic meters.

She said the projects would lessen water loss in water networks, help set up a number of irrigation projects and increase water resources capacity in some areas.

Mahasneh noted that the USAID donation also includes revising and preparing designs and tender documents, as well as refurbishing the Karama warehouse for equipment and appliances.

She pointed out the importance of the project for being one of the integrated cooperation programs signed between the Ministry of Water and Irrigation/ JVA and the USAID for five years at a cost of $34 million.

Source: Jordan News Agency

The Jordanian Trade and Services Exhibition (JTSE), organized by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce (JCC) and the Federation of Syrian Chambers of Commerce (FSCC), will kick off on Tuesday in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The three-day exhibition, which will be held at Damascus Fairground, will bring together 50 Jordanian companies, along with 127 businessmen, according to a JCC statement.

“Companies participating in the event work in trade, agencies, information and communication technology, energy, renewable energy, transportation, logistics, tourism, medical tourism, agriculture, machinery, universities and hospitals,” the statement added.

JCC head Nael Kabariti said the exhibition constitutes an important economic dimension to further deepen Jordanian-Syrian commercial relations, and a way for the two countries to launch a different phase of commercial partnership based on joint coordination to meet the two people’s interests.

Value of Jordanian exports to Syria during 10 months of 2021 amounted to JD45 million, compared to JD40 million in imports, foreign trade figures issued by the Department of Statistics showed.

Source: Jordan News Agency

Weather conditions on Tuesday will remain cold and cloudy, with a chance of scattered rain during the day throughout the Kingdom, mainly in the northern region, 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 and some parts of the Badia and the plains.

Similar cold weather will persist on Wednesday, with southwesterly moderate winds, while fair and sunny conditions will prevail on Thursday in most parts of the country.

The highs in Amman and other highlands across Jordan today will range between 13 and 10 degrees Celsius, dropping at night to 7C or even 4C in the southern highlands. In the Gulf city of Aqaba, it will be warmer with mercury levels reaching a high of 20C and a low of 11C.

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