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AMMAN — The Education Ministry on Tuesday warned that some individuals open schools without obtaining the necessary licences, calling on parents to ensure that they send their children to licensed schools.

The ministry stressed that it would close all these violating schools in accordance with the law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. The ministry said it would not accredit student certificates from these schools.

AMMAN — Committed and sustainable assistance by donors and the international community is "critical" for implementing the 2016-2018 Jordan Response Plan (JRP), Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Monday.

Ensour added that despite the international community's support, financing for the 2015 JRP has not been proportionate to actual needs, stating that "chronic aid shortages" have prevented the implementation of critical programmes for refugees and host communities.

Speaking at the eighth meeting of the Jordan Response Platform for the Syria Crisis, the premier said the second phase of the JRP represents another step towards a comprehensive response that "effectively links short-term coping solutions with longer-term initiatives aimed at strengthening local and national resilience capacities".

"I call on our partners to increase their support to Jordan so that we may continue to provide for those who seek refuge within our borders without undermining the foundations of our people’s future," he added, encouraging creative solutions towards building a prosperous environment for refugees and vulnerable Jordanians.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Imad Fakhoury underscored the importance of the participatory approach in the preparations for the 2016-2018 plan, adding that donors can continue providing the ministry with comments and suggestions until the end of this month.

“Adequately financing the 2016-2018 Response Plan is critical and will be urgently needed in order to ensure the continuation of international humanitarian response to refugees,” he said at the same meeting.

Fakhoury added that adequate financing will enable the government to maintain basic services to refugees and host communities at improved, rather than regressive, levels.

He noted that 167 projects were approved through the 2015 JRP to date, and are publically accessible on an online database along with concerned project activities to enhance transparency and harmonisation.

“Much has been achieved over the past year despite severe funding shortfalls,” he said, adding that over 143,000 Syrian refugee children enrolled in public schools this year and 50,000 Syrian children have been provided with remedial education.

At the same time, communicable disease control measures have resulted in vaccinating over 100,000 Syrian children under the age of five against polio. 

Furthermore, access to justice has improved, with 70,000 Syrian refugees and Jordanians in host communities  having obtained legal advice and/or information. 

Meanwhile, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Edward Kallon said that the recent arrival of thousands of Syrian refugees in Europe has drawn “fresh attention” to the crisis unfolding in the region and to Jordan in particular, reawakening international concern and solidarity.

“I believe we have the opportunity to... make sure Jordan has the partners, the tools and the funds it needs to see this vision realised,” he said, highlighting the importance of delivering a “credible” plan that reflects the achievements, constraints and shortcomings of the 2015 plan.

He also suggested methods for the sustainable management of the plan, such as ensuring that sector task forces perform technical oversight and provide policy advisory services to the platform, which is hoped will help examine the type of capacity development investment the task forces need.  

Another key issue is for donors is to sustain their assistance over the three year period of the plan, in addition to creating an enabling policy environment for resilience, encouraging the economic potential of refugees and providing strong incentives for private sector investment to promote productivity.

The 2016-2018 JRP seeks to build stronger linkages between humanitarian and development responses and to improve targeting of assistance based on vulnerability and through a resilience-based approach, according to the ministry.

The total cost of response interventions for the 2016-2018 plan is $8,137,444,104 (around JD5,769.5 million), including $2,450,978,299 (around JD1,737.7 million) for refugee interventions, $2,485,137,007 (around JD1,761.9 million) for resilience-strengthening of host communities, service delivery systems and public authorities, and $3,201,328,798 (around JD2,269.7 million) for specific budget support needs.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday received US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford who is visiting Jordan as part of a regional tour. 

King Abdullah and Dunford reviewed cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the military field. Both sides also reviewed recent developments in the Middle East, according to a Royal Court statement. 

The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Feisal, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben, director of the King’s Office Jafar Hassan and US Ambassador to Jordan Alice G. Wells.

AMMAN — A key lawmaker on Monday blamed the Senate for a constitutional flaw in the decentralisation bill that led to a decision by His Majesty King Abdullah to reject the draft law and return it to the House a day earlier.

The King on Sunday referred the reform-oriented legislation back to the Lower House due to its incompatibility with the Constitution, citing the bill’s discord with the Constitutional Court’s interpretation of Article 121 of the Constitution, according to a Royal Court statement.

Head of the Lower House’s Legal Committee Mustafa Amawi said Monday that the panel had noticed the flaw in the bill and sent a question to the Constitutional Court.

“The law, as sent from the government, contained the suspicion of a constitutional mistake,” he told The Jordan Times, adding, “The panel reworded the text even before it received a reply from the Constitutional Court.”

“We sent the decentralisation law to the House which approved our amendments. The Senate rejected the MPs’ changes and insisted on keeping the provision as it was in the original version.”

“The King’s objection was on the same thing we objected to. The Senate is to blame for His Majesty’s refusal to endorse the law.” 

In the statement listing the reasons for withholding his endorsement of the draft law, the King cited Paragraph A of Article 6 of the law concerning the establishment of governorate councils as incompatible with the Constitutional Court’s ruling, the Royal Court said. 

In its interpretation of Article 121 of the Constitution, the Court issued a ruling stipulating that any units or councils established under a law should be administratively and financially independent from the central government.

As it deliberated the bill, the Senate reworded Paragraph A of Article 6 to read: ”Each governorate shall have a council called ‘governorate council’”, removing from the said provision a previous phrase stating that councils established under the law should enjoy complete financial and administrative independence. 

In September, the two Houses of Parliament passed the 20-article decentralisation bill in a joint session after they disagreed twice on this provision and others. As the Constitutional Court’s opinion supported the deputies’ version, the Parliament’s final say was considered unconstitutional.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Monday discussed bilateral relations with Swiss Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter.

The meeting reviewed the most significant issues that will be discussed during the 2015 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mediterranean Conference, to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Dead Sea, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Representatives from 57 OSCE and six Mediterranean countries will participate in the conference, in addition to several international organisations.

Participants will discuss security opportunities and challenges in the Mediterranean region.

Judeh and Burkhalter stressed strong ties between both nations and agreed on the importance of continuing coordination and dialogue at different levels, especially since the two sides see eye-to-eye on issues of mutual concern, Petra said. 

The two officials discussed international efforts to combat terrorism and extremism and reviewed updates and developments in Palestine, where Judeh stressed the importance of immediately stopping all recurrent Israeli assaults that are in violation of international law. 

They highlighted the importance of reviving peace negotiations that lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, based on relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The two officials also discussed developments in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and Libya, stressing the importance of dialogue and political solutions that ensure the stability of these countries and the unity of their lands and people. 

Judeh emphasised the “huge burden” borne by the Kingdom as a result of hosting so many Syrian refugees and providing them with services despite limited resources, adding that it is important the international community shoulders its responsibilities in helping Jordan to continue its humanitarian role. 

Burkhalter, who is the head of the Swiss federal department of foreign affairs, highlighted Jordan’s role under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah and voiced the respect and support of his country for the Kingdom’s role in achieving peace and security in the region.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh will participate in a UN Security Council (UNSC) session to be held in New York on Thursday focusing on the situation in the Middle East and the Palestinian cause.

During the session, to be attended by foreign ministers and representatives of UNSC member states, Judeh will deliver a speech on recent developments in the region, in addition to the developments in Palestine, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

On Monday, Judeh briefed Senate President Abdur-Ra’uf S. Rawabdeh and other senators on recent developments in the region, particularly in relation to Palestine.

Rawabdeh said Jordan’s diplomatic efforts, led by His Majesty King Abdullah, aim to serve national interests as well as the wider Palestinian and Arab interests. 

He said Jordan stands beside its brothers in their crises and causes, defending them in all ways, and stressed that Jordan’s diplomacy has become a role model in dealing with Arab and regional crises.

Judeh highlighted the contacts Jordan is making under His Majesty’s leadership to stop recurrent Israeli aggression, noting that the Hashemites are the custodians of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem and will defend them through all diplomatic and legal means possible. 

The foreign minister reaffirmed Jordan’s support for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and within the June 1967 lines, based on relevant international references and the Arab Peace Initiative.

AMMAN – US Secretary of State John Kerry proposed holding talks in the coming day between the US, Russia, Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to find a political solution for the Syrian crisis. 

According to Agence France-Presse, Kerry said at a press conference in Spain that the US is working to avoid the "total destruction" of Syria, and plans a meeting in the coming days with Russian, Saudi and Turkish leaders to seek an end to the conflict. 

"I will be coming back in a few days and I will meet with leaders of Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to work through... options that could perhaps reignite the political process and bring about a political transition in Syria," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani said Jordan welcomes any effort or consultations that aim to find a political solution for the Syrian crisis. 

Such efforts are in line with the Kingdom’s stance that has always called for a political solution to the crisis in Syria and to end the humanitarian suffering of the Syrian people, Momani told The Jordan Times.

Taras Dobrovolskiy, spokesperson of the Russian embassy in Amman, told The Jordan Times that the Russian Foreign Ministry has not issued any comments on the proposal of the US top diplomat as the ministry is still studying it. 

No approval has yet been given on Kerry’s initiative, Dobrovolskiy said. 

Kerry did not elaborate on the location and timing of the planned event. 

AMMAN — Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh on Monday delivered a letter from His Majesty King Abdullah to the Jordan Businessmen Association (JBA), in which he thanked its members for their efforts to support Jordan's economy, a Royal Court statement said. 

In the letter, received by JBA President Hamdi Tabba during a discussion session on the domestic and regional situation, His Majesty commended the JBA's contributions to the development process and economic reforms. 

The King commended the association's role in enhancing the Kingdom's relations with Arab and foreign countries in different economic fields through joint business councils with their counterparts.

He cited the example of a partnership with peers in Gulf Cooperation Council member states.

In the letter, which was addressed to the businesspeople on the 35th anniversary of establishing the JBA, the King said he is looking forward to more efforts to enhance trade ties with world countries and encourage investment. 

During the discussion session, Tarawneh briefed attendees on the political and security situation in neighbouring countries, highlighting Jordan’s “good political, military and security position”, according to the Royal Court.

Moreover, he said Jordan is protected from extremist thought and it deals with the Syrian refugee crisis as a humanitarian issue while trying to minimise its impact on the Jordanian citizens and the national economy. 

Tarawneh highlighted Jordan’s role, under the leadership of King Abdullah, in standing against all Israeli attempts to change the current situation in Al Haram Al Sharif.

Tabaa thanked the King for his efforts in the different fields, enhancing national economy, supporting the investment environment, allowing the private sector and businesspeople to contribute to the economy, which, he said, has been and still is a priority for His Majesty.

AMMAN — Jordan stands united behind the Palestinian people, with an unwavering stance in support of the establishment of the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said at the extraordinary session of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union in Geneva. 

Delivering Jordan’s address at the session, held on the sidelines of the Inter-Parliamentary Union meetings, Tarawneh said His Majesty King Abdullah, in line with the Hashemite custodianship over Christian and Muslim sites in Jerusalem, is in contact with the international community and key powers to put a stop to Israeli violations in Jerusalem and Al Aqsa Mosque.

The speaker warned that a continuation of Israeli provocations will negatively affect Jordan-Israel relations, stressing that all diplomatic and legal options are available to the Kingdom to deal with these “extremist violations”, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Jordanian authorities, he added, are studying and preparing these options, which will be used at the right time to end “this Israeli arrogance which has crossed the line”.

The frequent incidents of breaking into Al Haram Al Sharif have provoked 1.5 billion Muslims, Tarawneh noted, stressing that Jordan’s political efforts are aimed at embarrassing the Israeli position, which does not stand on solid ground. 

He criticised Tel Aviv’s policies that speak of peace while its actions expose its crimes and violations.

To this end, Jordan’s popular and official position is based on holding the Israelis accountable for the current developments, Tarawneh said, blaming Israel’s provocations for the “dangerous escalation” of events in the occupied territories, where “the occupier has embodied the most heinous human rights violations.”

A continuation of these violations, he warned, portends the eruption of a religious war that “leaves nothing in its wake”.

The House speaker stressed that Jordan is fighting a war on terror out of a belief that “sowing the seeds of hatred today” would lead to the marginalisation of “the other”, depriving future generations of their right to live in peace.

Israel must realise, he said, that it is the “other face” of terror organisations, pushing young people towards extremism.

Jordan’s realistic views on the reasons behind regional unrest, Tarawneh added, emanate from its proximity to conflict areas, reiterating that depriving Palestinians of their legitimate rights will continue to be the main cause of all crises in the region.

He called for a united Arab front to defend the Palestinian cause and halt Israeli violations.

AMMAN — Police on Monday said 14 people were arrested a day earlier in connection with riots on the Amman-Aqaba highway that left one person dead and closed the road for over five hours over the weekend.

“We have arrested 14 individuals and are questioning them in connection with the death and riots near the Rashadiyeh area,” Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

A 35-year-old man had been rushed to Maan Public Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival because of a gunshot wound to the head, according to Sartawi.

Motorists were stranded for almost five hours on Friday after residents of Rashadiyeh set tyres on fire and blocked the street to protest the death of a man following a police pursuit late Friday night.

When police attempted to disperse the protesters to open the international highway, Sartawi told The Jordan Times, “rioters attacked the force with rocks and gunshots were heard”.

Police announced on Saturday that “a man, suspected of killing an Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agent in an ambush last month, was killed following a pursuit that included heavy exchange of gunfire”.

Corporal Mohammad Atta Salaymeh of AND died of wounds he sustained in a shoot-out with suspected drug dealers while on duty in an area in Maan’s Rashadiyeh area, some 220km south of Amman, on September 19.