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Jordanian activists left disappointed by PM Razzaz

When Jordan’s Omar Razzaz was appointed prime minister this summer, many in civil society were pleased given his longtime support for liberal causes and free speech including serving on the board of a human rights organization; however, during his time in power, Jordanian activists have faced many of the same challenges.
Jordan's Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz and Minister of State for Media Affairs Jumana Ghunaimat arrive for their news conference in Amman, Jordan June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RC124FDF1330

AMMAN, Jordan — Few Jordanian leaders came to power with greater support from Amman’s civil society than Prime Minister Omar Razzaz in June. He served on the board of the respected Amman-based Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists. Razzaz had called for a new social contract to advance government accountability and ensure “the rights of the electoral minority and of those with opposing views are safeguarded and not excluded or branded as treason.”

A popular education minister, Razzaz was applauded for combatting corporal punishment in schools despite the trend among some Jordanians to avoid discussing this sensitive issue. Therefore, Raed Wahbeh, chairman of Taqaddam, a progressive Jordanian platform advocating political change, told Al-Monitor that Razzaz’s appointment last summer was a “dream come true.”

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