Changes to Jordan's constitution raise concerns

It took Jordan’s two-chamber parliament about two weeks to overwhelmingly approve a number of constitutional amendments that the government had hastily presented on April 18. On May 2, the upper house of parliament adopted the amendments a week after the lower house had done the same.

In contrast to the amendments that were recommended by a special royal committee in September 2011, in the midst of the Arab Spring, this time there was no public debate. And while the 2011 amendments — which affected one third of the constitution and limited the king’s constitutional powers to postpone elections, dissolve the lower house indefinitely, keep a government in office or re-appoint a prime minister — were seen by the public as enhancing political reforms and underlining the kingdom’s status as a constitutional monarchy, the latest installment of alterations triggered controversy.

The government did not specify the reasons behind the changes, which give King Abdullah the sole power to appoint the heads of the military, security forces, police, senate and constitutional court, in addition to the regent, without the recommendation of the Cabinet of ministers, as was the case previously. In addition, one article in the constitution was revised to allow dual nationals to run for or be appointed to senior public posts.

But when the lower house discussed the amendments over a number of sessions on April 19, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour defended them, saying they are “progressive” and aim to enhance the principle of separation of powers. Speaker of the upper house and former Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez went further, telling Ammon News April 24 that the changes are intended to pave the way for the formation of parliamentary governments, in which the largest party or coalition in the lower house would form a new government.