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AMMAN — The Irbid Traffic Department on Tuesday transferred impounded vehicles to Swaqa, south of Amman, as part of a campaign against drivers who practice illegal drifting, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The campaign comes as a response to several complaints from the public about motorists who gather in neighbourhoods at night to practice drifting. The traffic department has impounded 19 cars and is going to transfer all of them to Swaqa.

AMMAN — Two died and 22 were injured on Tuesday in several road accidents across the Kingdom, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD).

A woman died and another person was injured in a two-vehicle collision in Madaba’s Jiza area.

In Irbid, a 10-year-old girl died in Aidon in a hit-and-run incident, according to a CDD statement. Moreover, three people were injured when two vehicles collided on the Irbid-Mafraq road.

Fourteen people were also injured when a bus overturned in Balqa. CDD personnel administered first aid to the injured and transferred them to hospitals where they were listed in fair condition.

In Karak, a car overturned resulting in the injury of four people, some of whom were listed in fair and others in critical condition. 

AMMAN — A course on “the integration of human rights principles into Jordanian media” concluded in Salt on Tuesday, the organisers said in a statement. The three-day workshop was the first course in a project carried out by the Jordanian Society for Human Rights with the support of the Spanish International Cooperation Agency for Development, the statement said.

The course included training on international human rights treaties and a discussion about the vital role that the media plays in raising awareness of human rights and exposing violations, the organisers said. Thirteen journalists from various local media outlets participated in the workshop.

AMMAN — The environment is Jordan’s natural heritage, and has to be maintained and administrated wisely to bring economic benefits to the Kingdom, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature President Khalid Irani said on Tuesday.

At a lecture delivered at the Jordan Media Institute (JMI), he referred to 2009 World Bank studies which showed that environmental degradation in the Kingdom reached $205 million annually, and rising, according to a JMI statement.

Irani, a former environment minister, said he supports the idea of privatising natural resources and waste management, while maintaining the role of public authorities in drawing policies and monitoring.

AMMAN — Jordan and Saudi Arabia have announced a package of measures intended to “enhance cooperation between the two countries,” according to a joint statement.

The statement was released following a meeting in Aqaba between His Majesty King Abdullah and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud.

Following is the unofficial translation of the statement:

“Based on the deep-rooted relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein and his brother the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, HRH Mohammad Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy of the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, on Monday 4/7/1437[Hijri calendar], corresponding to April 11, 2016, paid a visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, responding to a kind invitation by His Majesty King Abdullah II, who held a meeting with His Highness, who conveyed to His Majesty greetings from the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and HRH Mohammad Bin Nayef Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. 

The King and Prince Mohammad discussed bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to develop them, in addition to the latest developments at the regional and international levels. 

The two sides underlined the importance of political consultation between the two countries over regional issues and crises, stressing the importance of political solution as the best option to end them and the need to preserve the territorial unity, sovereignty and stability of the regional countries, rejecting interference in the internal affairs of these states. 

The two sides voiced their rejection of the policy of interference followed by Iran in the region, which incites sectarian sedition and fuels terrorism. They warned Iran against continuing with its present approach, which deepens disputes and conflicts in the region and jeopardises its stability.

The two sides stressed the need to enhance the existing cooperation in the fields of security, anti-extremism and counterterrorism, renewing their condemnation of the acts of terror that have targeted several countries. They emphasised the importance of taking part in the international efforts to combat terrorism through international and military coalitions. 

Upon directives by the Custodian of the Two Holy Shrines King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and his brother His Majesty King Abdullah II, the two sides agreed to enhance the existing cooperation between them in the following fields:

- Developing military cooperation in a manner that would promote security and stability in the region.

- Enhancing cooperation the field of energy, uranium mining and generating electricity using nuclear power.

- Promoting commercial cooperation and stepping up efforts to increase trade exchange, providing more opportunities for Jordanian exports to the Saudi market and strengthening the role of businesspeople in commercial cooperation between the two countries.

- Enhancing partnership in joint developmental and investment projects that can be implemented with the private sector. 

- Signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint investment fund.

- Cooperating in the field of transportation, especially with regard to transporting goods between the two countries and drawing up sound plans to realise that.

The two sides will continue their communication to follow up on progress made in the implementation of the agreements reached. 

Towards the end of the one-day visit, His Majesty acquainted the Saudi official with the products manufactured and developed by the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau, including state-of-the-art military vehicles.  

Further Jordan-Saudi Arabia cooperation 

Jordan and Saudi Arabia agreed to enhance the existing cooperation between them in the following fields:

• Developing military cooperation in a way that promotes security and stability in the region.

• Cooperating in the field of energy, uranium mining and producing electricity using nuclear power.

• Enhancing commercial cooperation and stepping up efforts to increase the volume of trade exchange, providing more opportunities for Jordanian exports to the Saudi market and strengthening the role of businesspeople in commercial cooperation between the two countries.

• Enhancing partnership in joint developmental and investment projects that can be implemented with the private sector. 

• Signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint investment fund.

• Cooperating in the field of transportation, especially with regard to transporting goods between the two countries and drawing up sound plans to realise that.

AMMAN – A document listing 109 people appointed recently at the Lower House showed that 15 of them are sons of MPs while the majority of others are relatives of lawmakers, which adds to the already "bloated" administrative staff at the Chamber. 

The list, made available to The Jordan Times, was approved "reluctantly" by the Cabinet early this month, as pointed out by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, and was the substance of bickering between the premier and Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh.

According to an MP and a parliamentary expert, the large number of administrators at the Lower House has been growing over the past six years due to a series of appointment cycles endorsed by speakers in order to "appease" fellow lawmakers, especially at time of imminent speakership elections. 

Nearly 800 persons have been hired by the House over the past years, according to the sources. 

MP Tareq Khouri, who in 2013 headed a committee that oversaw the transfer of 500 excess workers at the House to other public departments, told The Jordan Times on Monday that there are extra employees currently at the House. He accused MPs of pressuring the speaker to request more appointments from the government. 

"MPs cannot risk rejecting “wasta” [obtaining privileges through connections] requests from people in their constituencies, because they fear losing them as voters. This is a big problem for the House and this has to change," he said. 

Khouri said that moving 500 employees from the House to other public departments saved its budget around JD170,000 a month or around JD2 million annually in salaries. 

Al Rai journalist Majed Al Ameer, who has been covering parliamentary affairs for years, said appointments over the past five years were not based on actual needs or merit. 

“Appointments in the House should be through the Civil Service Bureau like any other government agency and should be based on meritocracy because MPs do need consultants and researchers in legislative issues,” Al Ameer said, noting that such qualifications do not apply generally to the recent list, which mainly includes relatives of lawmakers. 

An informed source said another list of appointments for the Senate has also been referred to the Cabinet for approval. 

The other list is, however, smaller than that of the Lower House’ as it includes between 15 to 20 names, said the source.   

Ensour-Tarawneh correspondence 

Leaked letters between Ensour and Tarawneh have shown that both men are at odds as leaked written letters exchanged by the two have shown. 

Ensour began one letter to Tarawneh by saying: “For your information, the Cabinet, in a session on March 23, decided, reluctantly, to create jobs for the 109 persons [picked by the speaker]”, who in a reply objected to the premier’s use of the word “reluctantly”.

In the letter, sent on April 3, Ensour added: “The Cabinet also decided to disregard all similar requests in the future because they deprive job seekers who have applied to the Civil Service Bureau from their rights.” 

In his reply letter to Ensour, sent on April 6, Tarawneh objected to the former’s “arrogant” style in addressing another constitutional authority, saying: “I do not think that this attitude is appropriate from a constitutional authority addressing another.”

“I really wished that this ‘reluctance’ was there when you selected nominees of top public offices [disregarding due procedure],” Tarawneh wrote in his reply, also seen by The Jordan Times.

“For your information,” the lawmaker continued, appointment in the Lower House has always been coordinated with the Civil Service Bureau and you know this and you [Ensour] can check that,” Tarawneh wrote.

Tarawneh concluded his letter with accusing Ensour’s government of always attempting to “tarnish the image of the 17th Lower House” and “weaken” its legislative role.

On his Facebook account, MP Khamis Atiyyeh said that the disagreement between the premier and the House speaker is not the problem “inasmuch as it is the language used in addressing the legislative authority”.

“The premier has chosen the wrong words in his letter to the speaker.’This is the last time’ and ‘reluctance’ should have never been used when addressing the House and its speaker,” Atiyyeh said.

Calling on the government to show respect for the House, the MP also urged the Chamber to perform its constitutional duties “in isolation from personal considerations”.

AMMAN — It is in the best interests of the “old” Muslim Brotherhood (MB) group to take part in the next parliamentary elections, pundits have said.

In phone interviews with The Jordan Times they said the participation is a “proof of life” as the 70-year-old group and main opposition power for decades is facing an unprecedented threat to its existence.

Up to last week, the MB said that its shura council, which calls the shots in the organisation, was discussing the next move, especially after a new elections law went into effect, and the notorious “one-person, one-vote system” was discarded. 

The council formed ad hoc committees to come up with suggestions upon which it will build its decision.

The group has seen a massive defection movement when hundreds of senior leaders walked out of the organisation and aligned themselves in three new entities that are expected to evolve into political parties and run for the election race, whose date has not been decided yet. One of the splinter groups has registered itself in the name: Muslim Brotherhood Society, claiming that it is the sole legitimate Brotherhood entity in the Kingdom. The mother group was not allowed to conduct its internal elections recently on grounds of its “illegitimacy”. However, it is the political arm of the group, the Islamic Action Front (IAF) party, that is entitled to race for House seats as it is a legally registered party. 

The Islamists refused to take part in the 2010 and 2013 polls citing the “unjust electoral law and vote rigging in 2007”. 

This time, as the Islamist organisation seems in its weakest state, the government does not need to enter negotiations with the MB leaders to convince them to join the parliament’s race, as in the case of the previous elections, according to Samih Maaytah, former state minister for media affairs and political analyst.

Maaytah expects the “Islamic movement” to be “keen on taking part, though it will be a painful decision for its leaders and constituents”.  

He said, authorities are no longer eager to see the old MB as a player in the political field for several reasons, including the decline of the movement’s popularity in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and due to having other factions representing Islamists, including the new society and Zamzam Initiative, formed by former MB leaders as a “national” moderate political movement.

In a move seen as an attempt to adapt to the uncontrollable change in the rules of the game, the mother group has recently modified its by-laws, ending their historic affiliation to Egypt, yet the move did not resonate with defectors or authorities.

For Ibrahim Gharaibeh, a political analyst and author with Brotherhood background, the group’s participation in the elections “is the only way to prove it still exists”.

He expects that MB contenders would not be able to win more than 15 to 20 out of the 130 House seats, noting that their presence in the Lower House would add to the legislative authority’s diversity. In comparison, in the 1989 elections, MB candidates won big, capturing more than a quarter of the 80-seat House back then, and emerging as a strong opposition power, eclipsing other political currents, such as Arab nationalists and leftists.  

Gharaibeh’s view was echoed by political analyst Oraib Rentawi, who maintained that their participation “would benefit both the group and Jordan”.

“I advise them to take part in lists that contain names of national personalities,” to remove the stereotype that the Islamists are not open to others in the society.

Rentawi also noted that the government should not continue to impose restrictions on the movement, as this “would discourage the group’s reformists and promotes extremism within its members”.

“There should be containment from the government side”, Rentawi told The Jordan Times, a view that was opposed by Maaytah, who noted that the government has no interest in containing members of the group and is not keen on their participation.

Meanwhile, Murad Adaileh, spokesperson of the IAF said although the participation of any “political component” is in the state’s interest because it adds to the diversity of the political process, the decision of taking part in the upcoming elections is to be discussed further. 

AMMAN — Although cartography has been deemed a “male-dominated” profession, Niveen Hassan’s dedication to her job has inspired her employers to hire more women.

Fifteen years ago, she landed a job as a cartographic designer at the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre (RJGC).

“I remember I was the first and only woman engineer to serve in my post, but after years of long hours of work and dedication, the centre decided to employ more women in my division,” Hassan said on Monday.

In 2005, she was chosen among 15 people from the region to receive a scholarship in astronautics from Italy and then came back to serve at the RJGC.

“When I came back, I was entrusted with taking part in drawing up strategic policies at the centre and heading a project that entails authoring a book of maps in Jordan,” the cartographer added.

After taking part in a project implemented by the Public Sector Development Ministry to empower women employees, Hassan was promoted to director of the RJGC planning department, becoming the first woman to serve in this post in the centre’s history.

“The programme has added a lot to my personality, leading skills and emotional intelligence…,” she noted.

Hassan was among seven women from across Jordan who took the podium on Monday to highlight the achievements made, challenges faced and skills gained under the project.

“Working in the field in a rural area was definitely a challenge. It took people a while to get used to me handling things and taking the lead,” said Asmaa Halaiqa, who was also part of the women empowerment scheme.

Halaiqa now serves as head of the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority’s awareness and social activities’ division.

The programme, which is also implemented in cooperation with USAID, USAID-Takamol Gender Programme and the Jordanian National Commission for Women, seeks to nurture women’s leadership and management skills in a way that allows them to excel in managerial and supervisory jobs in the public sector.

During a ceremony to celebrate women’s achievements under the programme, Public Sector Development Minister Kleef Al Khawaldeh said the project comes in line with Royal directives to increase women’s participation in policy and decision-making processes.

“In order to achieve this and ensure women’s success, we initiated the programme to equip women with the necessary skills they need to boost their chances of obtaining senior jobs,” he noted.

Initiated in 2015, the several-year project targets women in the central, northern and southern regions.

“With the end of this year, we are planning to conduct a study to gauge the success of the programme and its ability to increase women’s access to leading and supervisory jobs,” said the minister.

US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells noted that official figures indicate that women make up almost half of public sector personnel, yet hold less than 7 per cent of senior positions.

“…Supporting gender equality does not just mean supporting women; it means upholding equal opportunities for men and women alike, and men have an instrumental role in achieving such equality,” Wells added.

In Jordan, said the diplomat, “women have emerged as leaders and visionaries, not only at all levels of government but also in business, media and civil society, across all sectors”.

She noted that the government has “taken up the challenge of closing the gender equality gap by 2030 and by increasing the number of women in leadership positions and the representation of women in the judicial system by 20 per cent”.

Citing a number of women who have left their marks in several fields, Wells highlighted that the Kingdom has achieved equality in education.

“And yet, only 14 per cent of Jordanian women are active in the formal workplace,” she said.

For Mashael Khasawneh, one of the beneficiaries of the empowerment programme, “productive women today are breeders of tomorrow’s productive generations”.

AMMAN — The government is dealing with Syrian refugee issues from a holistic approach, coordinating with all the concerned entities, Interior Minister Salameh Hammad said Monday.

At a meeting in Amman with UNHCR Director for Middle East and North Africa Operations Amin Awad, Hammad said Jordan continues to do all it can to assist Syrian refugees and mitigate their suffering, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Discussions at the meeting, attended by UNHCR Representative to Jordan Andrew Harper, also covered the repercussions of the refugee crisis on the Kingdom. 

The Interior Ministry, Hammad said, coordinates with the Labour Ministry on issuing work permits for Syrian refugees.

Violators were given a three-month grace period to rectify their statuses according to regulations, the minister added.

He said the Syrian crisis has placed pressure on the Kingdom's already limited resources, noting that Jordan receives refugees on a daily basis, transferring them to camps, especially the Azraq camp, which is now receiving a large number of new arrivals.

The camp, some 100km east of Amman and 20km west of the town of Azraq in Zarqa Governorate, is currently home to 36,225 refugees, according to the UNHCR's latest available figures.

Awad commended the Jordanian role in hosting refugees despite the prevailing economic challenges.

On Monday, the army said Border Guards received 302 Syrian refugees in the previous 24 hours, transferring them to camps and shelters, and treating the wounded, according to Petra.

Out of the Kingdom's 9.523 million population, 1.265 million are Syrians, the results of the 2015 population census have shown.

Ninety per cent of Syrian refugees in Jordan live in cities and villages, rather than refugee camps, according to official estimates, while some 25 per cent of the state budget is allocated to cover refugee-related costs.

AMMAN — Jordan and Malta on Monday examined means to enhance bilateral relations and discussed the latest regional developments.

At several meetings held between senior Jordanian and Maltese officials, talks covered means to increase cooperation in trade and tourism, and operate direct flights between the two countries, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Later in the day, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour and his Maltese counterpart, Joseph Muscat, who was visiting the Kingdom on Monday, witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and Malta’s Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry.

At a meeting with Muscat, Ensour noted that Jordanian-Maltese diplomatic relations date back to 1976, expressing the Kingdom’s keenness on enhancing them in all fields.

Ensour also underlined that Jordan has succeeded in maintaining its security and stability despite regional turmoil, saying that the Kingdom’s modernisation and openness can qualify it to become a regional hub for economic cooperation.

The premier said the unprecedented regional challenges require intensified Jordanian-Maltese cooperation and coordination to address the danger of terrorism and radicalisation.

He also briefed Muscat and the accompanying delegation on Jordan’s burdens resulting from hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees, in addition to refugees from other countries.

Ensour added that Maltese businessmen are invited to benefit from available investment opportunities in Jordan, especially in infrastructure, water, renewable energy, transport and ICT projects.

The Maltese prime minister said Jordan and Malta enjoy stability, noting that promoting the rule of law and democracy in both countries would lead to more cooperation.

He also said that his visit to the Kingdom aims at learning about the challenges facing the region, which necessitate more cooperation and consultation.

Muscat expressed understanding of the burden Jordan has to endure as result of hosting refugees and called for a holistic solution to the crisis.

Ensour and Muscat also participated in the Jordanian-Maltese business council meeting, organised by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Petra reported.

The premier said communication between businesspeople from both countries is important to enhance ties, as the trade volume remains below expectations and does not reflect the potentials and opportunities that both countries enjoy.

Simplifying the EU rules of origins, he added, would lead to bigger opportunities for commercial exchange, facilitating Jordan’s entry to European markets and attracting more investments. 

Ensour urged Maltese businesspeople to establish investments in Jordan. 

Also on Monday Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh met with his counterpart George William Vella and exchanged views on bilateral relations and the latest regional developments.

Both officials highlighted the importance of increasing cooperation in the economic, commercial and cultural fields, Petra added.

Vella voiced his country’s keenness to continue coordination and cooperation with the Kingdom at all levels.

Meanwhile, Trade Minister Maha Ali met with Maltese Economy Minister Christian Cardona and discussed means to enhance trade exchange between the two countries, Petra reported.

Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez also met with his Maltese counterpart Edward Zammit Lewis and exchanged views on ways of enhancing tourism cooperation.