House, gov’t postpone decentralisation bill debate

AMMAN — The dispute between the government and the Lower House over the draft decentralisation law has been resolved with a compromise to postpone deliberating the reform-oriented law to the next extraordinary session expected to start after Ramadan.

According to well-informed parliamentary source, the dispute was settled during a meeting between the House Speaker Atef Tarawneh and Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Monday, which ended with an agreement to give priority to the draft 2015 municipalities law during the current extraordinary session.

The source also said that the two sides agreed that the government would not withdraw the bill from the Chamber and refer it, instead, back to the joint parliamentary committee that debated it for further examination.  

"The draft decentralisation law [listed on the agenda of the extraordinary session] has been received with dismay and dissatisfaction by a majority of MPs who see the bill is unable to enhance decentralisation," the source said. 

“Tarawneh advised Ensour that senators are also dismayed at the government’s version of the law.”

The meeting was attended by MP Khalil Atiyeh, head of the joint parliamentary committee which examined the law, MP Mustafa Amawi, head of the House Legal Committee and Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh.