King Abdullah II

"Landep News"

King Abdullah II

Syria, Libya, and Yemen are still jolted by protests as people demand the ouster of their regimes and democratic changes. One of the largest protests was staged on Friday in Syria, the calls for president Saleh to leave power in Yemen were resumed, and the situation in Libya is still far from being clarified even though the Western countries proclaimed the Transitional National Council in Benghazi as the authority in the country.
Egyptians are in the streets themselves, in spite of the fact that their revolution was a success, and the Mubarak regime was toppled. They claim reforms, a new constitution drafted before the Muslim Brotherhood get to vote on it, and most of all, punishment for those who collaborated with the regime.
There are many analysts who consider that the Jasmine revolution that started at the beginning of the year was in fact a failure, not only because it did not succeed in all countries where it started.

People Love their King

In fact it was successful only in Egypt and Tunisia, where things are not clear yet, given that in Egypt for instance the threat of the rule of a Muslim force is still very serious.
In Yemen the president still hangs on to power, in spite of the fact that he promised on various occasions to live.
In Syria, situation is still far from having the outcome the people protesting desire, while in Libya the country is practically split over who rules it.
In Iran, Bahrain, and Algeria the protests were practically thwarted one way or the other, without many prospects of reform.
However, one of the countries where the unrest was toned down but reforms seem to be on their way is the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Jordanian Protest

King Abdullah II and his government seem to be rushing to implement reforms that should have been implemented through the last decade, in an attempt to bring social peace in the country, and prevent any further uprising in the small kingdom.
It is not yet known how the people of Jordan will react, whether they will think the reforms run deep enough, or that the government will be able to implement them.
The most important reforms he proposes were produced by a National Dialogue Committee composed of 52 members and refer to increasing the number of the seats in parliament, from 120 to 130, the appointment by royal decree of a panel of retired judges to oversea elections, which would replace the ministry of interior, and a new law that would permit a easier way to associate in political parties, and participate to the public life, and a higher participation of women.

Jordanian Protests

Some of the reforms could be easier to implement because they are a decade old but were not implemented by the government, which is actually the institution on which lies the task to make them happen.
The former Jordanian foreign minister introduces the question whether the frustration of the king that these reforms have not yet been implemented is justified, considering that he holds broad powers in the state and could have made it happen long ago.
The minister accuses an ossified elite which has no interest in anything other than their personal interest.
A scrutiny of the governments during the last decade shows that the elite has chosen to ignore, dilute or even oppose the king’s reformation plans.
King Abdullah II sacked the entire government a few months ago, when the people took it to streets demanding the reducing of governmental corruption. He then pledged to push reforms and now it seems he is trying to make good on his words.

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