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AMMAN — Total beneficiaries from the National Aid Fund (NAF) reached 239,000 individuals who annually receive JD91 million, NAF President Basma Ishaqat said Wednesday.

Over 89,000 families benefit from NAF, including 8,154 new families who have received a total sum of JD650,000 per month since the beginning of the year, Ishaqat told the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

NAF began a comprehensive survey at the beginning of the year to follow up on families receiving monthly assistance, and resulted in increasing allocations for 3,809 families by JD81,462 and reducing other allocations for 5,980 families by JD199,000, she noted.

AQABA — A biodiversity protection project has successfully translocated over 7,000 coral reef colonies from the new Aqaba Port to the Aqaba Marine Park (AMP).

The translocation, which is part of a recently concluded three-year project, aims to preserve Aqaba's iconic coral habitat, since the coral reef colonies are in shallow waters, easily accessible and close to major population and industrial centres.

Project Director Nidal Oran said over 70 per cent of coral reef colonies at the new port were moved to the marine park, with survival rates of transplanted colonies exceeding 85 per cent. 

He noted that a key factor in the project’s success was training six university students and engaging them in the entire process, in the hope that future bio-conservation projects in Aqaba, some 330km south of Amman, will build on their expertise.

The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and the UNDP, aims at mainstreaming biodiversity conservation to promote more effective management of the Aqaba coastal zone. 

Its four pillars are enhancement of knowledge-management systems for coastal and marine biodiversity; promotion of biodiversity-friendly investment and development; improvement of institutional capacity for coastal zone management; and biodiversity conservation, including coral reef protection.

"A second phase for the project is required in order to build on the momentum that the first phase created," Oran told The Jordan Times, in an interview, attributing the successes of the project to the "high" level of coordination between ASEZA and UNDP.

He added that while "good" measures for environment protection exist on paper, strict implementation and monitoring will be “critical” once the new port is running. 

For her part, UNDP Programme Manager Majida Alassaf said the project responds to "urgent national coastal and marine needs" and provides a "clear vision" of how to incorporate biodiversity protection into policies, programmes and development activities in Aqaba.

The "Marine Biodiversity Protection and Sustainability" project, which is an example of Jordan's commitment to the UN Decade on Biodiversity, has also enhanced institutional and human capacities in the field, Alassaf added.

"Jordan is home to some 2,500 types of plants… including 100 endemic kinds and 375 rare varieties. In addition, Jordan is home to 47 types of wild endangered animals," she said, citing another UNDP project implemented in 11 countries, including Jordan, to protect birds migrating along the Dead Sea Rift and the Red Sea.

AMP Director Abdullah Abu Awali said the park, which is an affiliate of ASEZA, witnessed the beginning of the coral reef translocation process back in 2012.

He added that the process was carried out by qualified AMP divers as well as divers from other private and public institutions, highlighting several follow-ups on the performance of the colonies by an international expert and teams from the park.

A large number of coral reef colonies needed to be moved to the park, a process that generally requires two to four years of work. However, bureaucratic delays necessitated moving the colonies to the southern shore in only three months, Abu Awali noted.

"We saved what we could save," he told The Jordan Times in a recent interview, citing signs of normal life surrounding the new colonies, such as an increasing number of fish.

Meanwhile, ASEZA environment commissioner Suleiman Njadat highlighted the role of such projects in sustaining coastal life, stressing a need for "comprehensive" management of marine and coastline facilities.

Other components of the project included reviving environmental tourism, such as by engaging visitors in mountain climbing activities during their visits to Aqaba, according to Oran, who cited attempts to demonstrate the importance of environment protection to the public, not just to experts.

He mentioned among these initiatives a smartphone application that introduces users to the marine ecosystem and provides them with information on and photos of poisonous creatures.   

The project allowed students like Tasneem Shandaq to take part in a year-long hands-on training programme that "created meaning for what [she] learned for four years at university".

The 2013 graduate told The Jordan Times that she now has more knowledge and experience regarding ecosystem preservation as well as regulations governing marine life in Jordan.

"I am currently pursuing my master's degree in marine science, and I am planning to write my thesis on fish reserves in Jordan, a topic I learned about through the project," she said, adding that her favourite part of the project was diving to plant the coral reef colonies in their new locations.

AMMAN — Almost 15 per cent of the beggars detained by the authorities so far in 2015 are from Syria, Social Development Ministry Spokesperson Fawaz Ratrout said on Wednesday.

Since 2011, he said, the year Jordan started hosting Syrian refugees; an average of 18 per cent of street beggars caught annually have been Syrians.

Before the crisis started in the neighbouring country, beggars apprehended on the street were of Yemeni, Egyptian, and Jordanian nationalities and even a Chinese citizen was once caught, according to Ratrout.

“The numbers of detained beggars has increased with time. In 2013, the Kingdom reported around 3,000 beggars; last year, authorities caught more than that, and this year, only up until October, there are almost 4,000 beggars in police custody,” the spokesperson told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

Syrians constituted 20 per cent of apprehended vagrants in 2012, 18 per cent in 2013, and almost 20 per cent in 2014, Ratrout noted, adding that most of the caught Syrian beggars are spread in the capital and some are in the northern governorates.

He said street vendors near traffic lights are not included in the figures.

“The adults selling on streets are subject to other legal measures, while children who do the same thing are taken into custody and provided with the care and support needed.”

Jordan, now a temporary home for 1.4 million Syrians, is the third largest refugee-recipient country per capita in the world, according to official figures. 

A total of  629,627 Syrians are registered with the UNHCR, according to the agency’s latest figures, which indicate that 168,757 Syrian refugees are in Amman, while 154,744 are in Mafraq in the northeast and 139,708 are in Irbid, 80km north of Amman.

A total of 80,450 registered Syrian refugees are in Zarqa, some 22km east of Amman.

The Zaatari Refugee Camp is home to 79,284 Syrians, while 25,774 are in Azraq camp and 6,364 are in the Emirati-Jordanian Mreijeb Al Fhoud camp, according to UNHCR figures.

YEREVAN, Armenia — A Jordanian delegation returned to the Kingdom this week after an eight-day visit to the Republic of Armenia, during which it shared Jordanian culture with Armenians through exhibitions of music, film, traditional dress and folkloric dance.

The visit took place under an agreement between the countries for cultural exchange in the areas of museums, libraries, music and theatre, which was signed in 2012.

Culture Minister Lana Mamkegh, who headed the delegation, told The Jordan Times while in Yerevan, the republic’s capital, that the cultural week had been a great success, based on reports in Armenian newspapers and reactions from the public.

“I base my assessment of the programme’s success not only on what I read in the Armenian media about our visit, but on what I saw in the eyes of the people who attended the opening ceremony,” Mamkegh said. 

“They responded with astonishment and eagerness to everything we presented, especially the folkloric dance and the traditional dresses.”

Mamkegh said she was interested in strengthening relations between the two countries because there are many Armenians in Jordan. 

Therefore, she visited Armenia two months ago, met with its culture minister and agreed to hold a week of cultural exchange in Armenia.

Among the Jordanian delegation were Royal Film Commission (RFC) Project Manager Shadi Nimri, fashion designer Maryam Murad Mahany, music and dance troupe Ramtha Youth Group for Popular Arts, and Rafi Boyajian of Zohrab Photography.

RFC also screened several Jordanian films during the cultural days at the premises of the Armenian State Philharmonic Hall. 

“When Monaliza Smiled”, a romantic comedy, attracted the most attention, said Lusine Karapetyan, the orchestra’s art director. 

She expressed her hope for more cultural cooperation between the two countries in the future.

During the cultural days, Mamkegh visited several Armenian cultural centres, such as Yerevan State Conservatory, and said such experiences are what the ministry will build on in the future.

“I noticed that Armenian culture is based on art, in all its kinds, which is something we need to benefit from and build on, in the belief that the culture of art combats and wins over the culture of guns, thus guarding youths from terrorism,” she said.

Mamkegh asserted that the Jordanian and Armenian peoples share cultural characteristics including diversity, respect, harmonious living alongside other nationalities, and generosity. 

The traditional Jordanian dresses presented in different parts of the republic, which were modelled by Armenian girls, were received with great admiration, according to the minister. 

Photos of Jordan’s tourist attractions by Jehad Jbara and Zohrab Markarian were also exhibited.

“I feel close to the Armenian culture and heritage, since it is my ancestors’, but Jordan is and will always remain my home,” said Boyajian, of of Zohrab Photography.

AMMAN — The Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and the Egyptian Armed Forces on Wednesday signed a military cooperation agreement to exchange expertise in different military fields.

Signing the agreement was part of a meeting between King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Armed Forces Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy.

Zaben and Hegazy discussed enhancing military cooperation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Hegazy also attended a drill executed by a unit of the Joint Special Operations Command, and expressed his admiration of the “advanced level” of the unit’s personnel.

AMMAN — Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh on Wednesday said Jordan will witness a new political stage with the new parliamentary elections law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Meeting with students from the Jordan Media Institute, Kalaldeh said all observations on previous elections laws have been taken into consideration in the 2015 bill, which he described as the keystone of the reform process. 

AMMAN — MP Saad Hayel Srour on Wednesday highlighted Jordan’s efforts in dealing with the influx of Syrian refugees over the past four years. Srour, who is chairing Jordan’s parliamentary delegation to the 133rd Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Geneva, said Jordan provides health and education services to the refugees, besides a safe haven, despite its limited resources, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

He thanked the international community for assisting Jordan, but conceded that the aid covers no more than 40 per cent of the country’s needs. The former minister and Lower House speaker reaffirmed Jordan’s position in support of a political solution for the crisis in Syria. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah and Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi on Tuesday stressed their desire to enhance cooperation in political, economic, military and security fields.

The King held a one-on-one meeting with Essebsi at Basman Palace, followed by expanded discussions focusing on sustaining coordination and consultation in all fields that could benefit the interests of both countries and their peoples, according to a Royal Court statement.

After the talks, King Abdullah and Essebsi, who arrived in Amman earlier in the day on a two-day visit, attended the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement in civil protection and civil defence, and another on cooperation in the security field, which were signed by Interior Minister Salameh Hammad and Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs Taieb Baccouche.

Another agreement in the military field was signed by King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and Baccouche.

His Majesty also bestowed the Order of Al Nahda, the Kingdom’s highest-ranking medal, upon Essebsi for his contributions to “enhancing brotherly ties and distinguished relations between the two countries”, the Royal Court said.

During the meetings, both sides called for increased cooperation in the economy, IT, energy, health and tourism sectors, and stressed the importance of exchanged visits between businesspeople of both nations to explore investment opportunities.

Towards that end, they highlighted the significance of the upcoming meetings of the joint higher committee.

King Abdullah said that Jordan and Tunisia face similar economic challenges, mainly poverty and unemployment, in addition to dealing with refugee issues, the statement added.

In this regard, and despite regional challenges, both countries continue their development and reform schemes, with Tunisia announcing its five-year development plan and Jordan launching its 10-year economic and social development blueprint.

Jordan, the King stressed, stands ready to help Tunisia at all levels — governmental, military, security and other fields — and to support the Arab country in countering various challenges.

He added that Jordan and Tunisia have many similarities that entitle them to boost cooperation and build partnerships in various fields.

The King also congratulated Essebsi on Tunisia’s National Dialogue Quartet receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, a sign of the international community’s appreciation for the Tunisian democratic model.

For his part, Essebsi expressed his appreciation for the King’s invitation to visit Jordan, adding that Tunisia highly appreciates His Majesty’s stances, and those of the late King Hussein, describing King Abdullah as “the best successor to the best predecessor”.

The Tunisian leader voiced appreciation of Jordan’s role in facing various challenges, praising the Kingdom’s role at regional and international levels.

“When we look at Jordan’s role, we view it with all due respect and pride,” Essebsi said.

He also outlined the Tunisian reform experience and referred to the challenges his country faces as a result of conditions in neighbouring Libya, especially in terms of refugee influx and controlling common borders, added the statement. 

Regarding extremism and terrorism, which, they agreed are the most serious threat to the region and the world, both leaders stressed the importance of intensifying regional and international efforts and cooperation to fight these phenomena, as well as continuing coordination and consultation among relevant parties within a comprehensive strategy.

Discussions also tackled dangerous Israeli escalations in the West Bank and Al Haram Al Sharif, in addition to the latest developments in the Syrian arena.

Following the meetings, which were attended by senior officials from both countries, the King hosted a banquet in honour of the Tunisian president and the accompanying delegation.

Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour met with Essebsi and reiterated His Majesty’s keenness on enhancing Jordanian-Tunisian ties and joint cooperation in all fields.

Ensour and Essebsi also highlighted the significance of the joint higher committee’s meetings, scheduled to be held in December, and their role in enhancing economic and commercial ties between the two countries.

Ensour reviewed the repercussions of the Syrian crisis on Jordan and the pressure 1.4 million Syrian refugees have caused to the economic and service sectors.

Essebsi praised Jordan’s role and efforts to preserve security and stability in the region, expressing his admiration at the Kingdom’s ability to maintain security in a turbulent region.   

DEAD SEA – The rapid transformations in the region, accompanied by the rise in radicalism, are “transnational” in nature, a reality that requires stronger trans-border partnerships, according to participants at a high-profile security conference. 

On the shores of the Dead Sea, representatives of 63 nations are discussing security opportunities and roadblocks in the region, engaging in a cross-dimensional dialogue consistent with the spirit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), according to organisers.

The two-day 2015 OSCE Mediterranean Conference, held under the title “Common Security in the Mediterranean Region – Challenges and Opportunities”, provides a venue for deeper understanding of the security realities in region.    

Touching on the significant timing of the event, whose 2008 edition was also hosted by the Kingdom, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said in his remarks that the challenges facing the region today have become “more complex and, as always, interconnected”.  

“Today, our region is plagued with protracted conflicts that were left to fester and become so dangerous that our collective security is being tested,” he said at the opening ceremony. 

The main source of tension in our region and a root cause of many of its problems, according to Judeh, is the “prolonged” Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

“Recent escalations by Israeli authorities, in Jerusalem, especially at Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, and tragic civilian deaths on both sides stoke a religious war that holds dangerous repercussions for all of us, and is infuriating the emotions of more than 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world,” said the minister. 

He reiterated that the only way to address the conflicts is through the realisation of the two-state solution, which leads to establishing a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, within the 1967 lines and based on serious negotiations that address final status issues.

Judeh added that “when it comes to threats of radicalisation, terrorism and extremism, we are on the frontline… those threats respect no borders.” 

He also underlined that accepting, hosting and dealing with refugees and alleviating their suffering is the collective responsibility of the international community. 

 “I would like to stress the fact that there is no space for fatigue when it comes to supporting refugees,” he said, noting that he is aware of the fact that countries suffer from donor and refugee fatigue, but the issue remains a global and international challenge.

“We should draw attention to the horrific images of Syrian refugees… on the beaches of Europe; we should bring attention to the millions of refugees in Syria’s neighbouring countries waiting for the international community and organisations to stand up to their responsibilities,” said Judeh. 

He also stressed Jordan’s full support for the Iraqi government and its efforts to fight terrorism.

In his opening address, German Minister of Foreign Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier said all European and Middle Eastern countries are affected by the repercussions of the regional crises, noting that Germany alone will be hosting around one million refugees by the end of this year, the vast majority of whom are from Syria and its neighbours.

“This region needs common principles and processes with small steps to recover from the crisis,” he said.

Roksanda Nincic, state secretary of Serbia’s foreign ministry, called for finding a solution to the humanitarian situation of Syrian refugees who attempt to reach Europe and escape the destruction in their home countries by crossing the Mediterranean Sea.   

The OSCE conference runs until October 21.

AMMAN — While constitutional experts were criticising the 2015 draft parliamentary elections law as replete with “constitutional flaws”, the Lower House’s Legal Committee said it is meaningless to attack a bill that will inevitably be subject to modification.

Without giving names, Mustafa Amawi, head of the committee, expressed dismay over what he described as “negative, destructive and pointless” criticism of the bill by some legal and constitutional experts, saying: “These people only criticise for the sake of criticism.”

Attending a recent brainstorming session organised by the Legal Committee, constitutional expert Mohammad Hammouri said that deciding the number of parliamentary seats for each constituency by virtue of a bylaw, which is enacted by the government without the need to refer it to Parliament, is “unmistakably unconstitutional”.

Hammouri explained that dividing constituencies and defining the number of parliamentary seats is a matter that “has to do with public rights over which the government should not have the final say”.

Citing articles 114 and 120 of the Constitution, Hammouri said the Cabinet issues bylaws and regulations on matters of executive nature such as the establishment of government departments, the control of expenditures, public funds and appointments. 

Paragraph A of Article 8 of the elections law reads: “The Kingdom is to be divided by a bylaw into electoral districts for which 130 parliamentary seats will be allocated.”

“The division of electoral districts and the number of parliamentary seats should be mentioned in the elections law,” the pundit said.

Hammouri also explained that the open proportional list mentioned in Paragraph A of Article 9 of the bill contradicts the “general direct election” principle, citing Article 67 of the Constitution which reads: “The Chamber of Deputies shall consist of members elected by secret ballot in a general direct election and in accordance with the provisions of an electoral law.”

“The open proportional list is a form of indirect election,” he said.

“According to Article 6 of the Constitution, all Jordanians are equal before the law. There is nothing called ‘positive discrimination’,” he added, stressing what he perceives as the “unconstitutionality of the quota system” stipulated in the draft elections law.

Paragraph A of Article 6 reads: “Jordanians shall be equal before the law. There shall be no discrimination between them as regards to their rights and duties on grounds of race, language or religion.”

“If they want to give special rights for special people, they should include this in the Constitution, as is the case in Switzerland and Norway,” Hammouri said. 

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, Omar Jazi, a law professor and established lawyer, explained that banning the citizens of the badia from running for parliamentary elections outside their designated constituencies is “unconstitutional”, also citing Article 6 of the Constitution.

Paragraph B, Article 8 of the keystone reform law deals with the northern, central and southern badia districts as a governorate for purposes of election administration.

Jazi said that under the new law, and unlike citizens from Amman, Irbid, Zarqa and other areas, the citizens living in, or originally from,  the badia are not allowed to register candidacy outside their districts.

President of Legislative and Opinion Bureau Nufan Ajarmeh disagreed with Hammouri, explaining, in a recent meeting with the Legal Committee, that the legality of issuing bylaws and regulations related to the division of electoral districts and the allocation of parliamentary seats is covered in Article 31 of the Constitution.

According to the said article: “The King ratifies the laws and promulgates them. He shall direct the enactment of such regulations as may be necessary for their implementation, provided that such regulations are not inconsistent with the provisions thereof.”

Attending the same session, Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh said that the 2015 elections bill has been spared the criticism that has traditionally been directed at previous electoral laws, such as weak representation of certain segments of society and undermining the social fabric of the nation. 

“There is no election law without flaws. However, the electoral formula suggested in the 2015 draft elections law is the least negative and harmful,” Kalaldeh said.

Acknowledging some of the notes made by constitutional experts on the law, Amawi said: “Our disagreement with them is on the way their criticism is directed. They just criticise publicly on satellite channels and lectures here and there. Why do they not help us instead?”

However, Amawi, who holds a PhD in law, criticised the “authoritarian attitude” of some constitutional experts, saying, “They speak as if they know and we do not.”

“As a head of the Legal Committee and with a PhD in the constitutionality of laws, there is no way I would send a bill with suspicion of unconstitutionality to the House.”

He said that the committee is still in the process of discussing the draft law with all segments of society, adding: “All comments we hear from political figures, constitutional experts, professional associations, civil society organisations, and women and youth organisations will be taken into consideration.”

“It is still too early. The draft law will not even be given urgent status in the upcoming ordinary session. The law will not be deliberated [under the Dome] before February.”