Saturday, March 05, 2011
Randa Habib
Agence France Presse

AMMAN: Thousands of Jordanians protested Friday in Amman to demand “regime reforms,” a day after Prime Minister Maarouf al-Bakhit rejected calls for a constitutional monarchy.

“The people want regime reform. Reform is a popular demand. We want a new electoral law,” the protesters, including Islamists, trade unionists and leftists, chanted in the city center after midday prayers.
Holding national flags, the demonstrators, estimated by Islamist leaders at 10,000 and by police at 5,000, carried banners reading: “We need bread and freedom,” “Down with the bullying policy” and “Together let’s dissolve Parliament.”

“We stick to our demands to have a modern electoral law, early elections, a new method of forming governments as well as more efforts to fight corruption,” Muslim Brotherhood spokesman Jamil Abu Baker told the crowds.
“We reject all attempts to kill or abort real political reforms, which should be implemented in line with a clear time frame.”

The demonstration, which the Islamists expected to attract 20,000, came a day after Bakhit won a close vote of confidence, telling MPs that a constitutional monarchy, which some groups have been demanding, would “unbalance Jordan’s political system.”
Nationalists and independent Islamists have formed a commission for what they call a “Constitutional Monarchy Initiative,” saying “the solution for Jordan is to move to a constitutional monarchy under which the king does not rule.”

“We have not approved calls for a constitutional monarchy, but we are partners with all other political movements and parties working for reforms,” said Zaki Bani Rsheid, a leading member of the Islamic Action Front, political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“We want a national framework engaging all national efforts to present a united front.”

Bakhit, who has promised “true” and “gradual” reforms, said Thursday before the vote that the government “understands calls for constitutional amendments, and even readopting the 1952 Constitution.”
While the Islamist movement wants the prime minister to be elected rather than appointed by the monarch, leftists seek the scrapping of amendments to the 1952 Constitution, which was promulgated by King Abdullah II’s grandfather King Talal.

The document already has been amended 29 times, giving greater power to the monarch and weakening the legislature, experts say.
“The Islamists did not join calls for a constitutional monarchy, trying to appear pragmatic in order to attract more followers,” a senior official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

He said there was a “broad consensus” that a constitutional monarchy “threatens the survival of the kingdom.”
“The king should rule and have executive powers because the [ruling] Hashemites have always unified all Jordanians, whether those of Palestinian origin, Muslims or Christians,” he said.

The official insisted that “nobody else but the king can give Jordanians the feeling of security and confidence.”
The Islamists, who boycotted the November polls, have been trying to present themselves as reformists, taking advantage of the fact that Parliament, which is controlled by regime loyalists, enjoys little popular credibility.
“So far, the government has not done anything to meet people’s demands,” said IAF chief Hamzah Mansour. “As long as there are reasons to protest, the protests will continue.”