Wednesday, March 30, 2011

AMMAN: Jordan’s King Abdullah II vowed to fight attempts to “sabotage” the country’s reform drive and called for a “new chapter” while the government said it will ban loyalists from demonstrating in the capital.

King Abdullah met Tuesday with members of a dialogue committee formed by the government to enhance reforms.
A 55-year-old protester died and 160 people were injured Friday when police broke up a pro-reform protest camp following a stone attack by loyalists against young demonstrators near the Interior Ministry.
“The king condemned the violence Friday and offenses to national unity,” a palace statement said after he met members of the dialogue committee.

Mustafa Rawashdah, a member of the dialogue committee, told AFP that the king “stressed that Jordan will not allow anybody to ‘sabotage’ the reform drive.”
“He told us that only 2 percent of Jordanians do not want reforms. He said that ‘those who do not want reforms are not loyalist and loyalists must be reformist.’” Fifteen members of the panel quit after Friday’s clashes.
“The king called for opening a new chapter and working as one team,” Rawashdah said.

“You have a key role in transforming Jordan into a new era of reform, modernization and development. I will be the guarantor of your dialogue results. There is no alternative for dialogue,” the palace statement quoted the king as telling panel members.

The powerful Islamist opposition has rejected the commission and called for Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit’s ouster after the violence.

The two sides have vowed to hold fresh protests at a roundabout near the ministry again Friday, with government loyalists saying 1 million supporters will join the rally, sparking fears of renewed violence.
“From now on protests by loyalists can only be held outside Amman to avoid clashes with the opposition,” a senior official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The opposition can demonstrate in certain areas in Amman,” he said without elaborating.

Bakhit said Monday the government will “allocate certain places for demonstrations, to protect protesters and avoid obstructing the lives of others.”
“Carrying firearms, bats, stones and sharp tools as well as attempts to prevent peaceful demonstrations are condemned. They harm Jordan’s image and reform drive,” Bakhit told the state-run Petra news agency. – AFP