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AMMAN — The Lower House Integrity Committee on Thursday was briefed on the result of the international arbitration case dubbed the “Housing Bank Stakes”, whose ruling was in favour of the Social Security Investment Fund (SSIF).

MP Mustafa Rawashdeh, head of the committee, commended the efforts of SSIF employees and lawyers for following up on the case.

SSIF Chairman Suleiman Hafez, Social Security Corporation Director General Nadia Rawabdeh, and Anti-Corruption Commission President Abed Kharabsheh attended the meeting, the Jordan News Agency Petra, reported.

The lawsuit was filed by Al Musabalah Company at the International Arbitration Court in Zurich, Switzerland. The firm claimed buying SSIF’s stake in the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance and wanted the fund to pay over JD93 million for failing to implement the alleged agreement.

The court rejected all claims made by the plaintiff, declared the signature on the alleged agreement forged and obliged the company to pay arbitration fees, which reach up to JD2 million.

AMMAN — The State Security Court (SSC) on Thursday released on bail former Al Ghad columnist Jihad Muheisen, who was detained in July over a post he published on Facebook, according to media sources.

The sources told The Jordan Times that Muheisen will stand trial starting next Monday. In mid-July, the SSC decided to detain Muheisen. He was arrested at Queen Alia International Airport upon his arrival from Lebanon.

The former columnist, who was detained in Balqa prison, is facing charges of undermining the regime and lèse majesté.

Al Ghad daily terminated his contract in June after he published a Facebook post in which he said he would become a Shiite and criticised the democratic process in Jordan.

The Political and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, where Muheisen worked as an adviser, also terminated his contract. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday met with US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley who is currently visiting the Kingdom and discussed bilateral cooperation in military fields, a Royal Court statement said. 

Also on Thursday, Zaben met separately with Milley and discussed boosting military relations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

AMMAN — At the time the government has expressed satisfaction over the "positive" reactions to the proposed parliamentary elections law, a group of political parties on Wednesday requested that the multi-member list proposed in the newly unveiled bill be "exclusively" formed by political parties. 

In response to the politicians’ feedback, a senior government official said the demand contradicts the Constitution. 

Heading a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour expressed relief over the "positive" and "welcoming" public reaction to the new elections law, saying that citizens' understanding and approval of the draft law is a major achievement in the reform process, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Meanwhile, 20 political parties concluded a meeting they held Wednesday with a joint statement, casting doubt on the ability of the new elections law to bring to the Lower House "politicised" MPs capable of forming the envisioned parliamentary government.

They also stressed the importance of revisiting the elections bill so that the multi-member lists are only formed by political parties, citing its significance in bringing to the House lawmakers elected on the basis of platforms and genuine political thought.

Abolishing the decades-long one-person, one-vote system, the new law is based on the at-large voting system in which candidates can run for parliamentary elections via a multi-member ticket. 

Under Article 9 of the 68-article law, eligible voters will have a number of votes equal to the number of seats allocated for their constituency. They will pick a ticket as a whole and then individuals from the same list. 

Under the 2012 law, on the basis of which the 2013 parliamentary elections were held, each voter was given two votes: one for a candidate at the constituency level and another for a closed proportional list that competed for 27 seats at the national level.

Unveiling the law earlier this week, Ensour explained that the closed proportional list at the national level was removed from the new law as “it was ruled as unconstitutional by the Higher Council for the Interpretation of the Constitution”, which was later replaced by the Constitutional Court.

In remarks to The Jordan Times Wednesday, Political and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Khaled Kalaldeh described the 20 political parties’ position as “highly appreciated yet illogical”.

“In line with  international standards”, Kalaldeh explained, the 2015 elections law was “carefully” designed according to demographic, geographic and development considerations so that all parts of the Kingdom can enjoy fair representation in the Parliament. 

“Allocating half of the members of the Lower House to political parties is an unconstitutional demand,” Kalaldeh said, referring to another request by the 20 political parties which represented the rightist, leftist and centrist ideologies.

“Representation in the Lower House should be fair and reflect the actual development status of every district,” he said, adding: “How can underdeveloped regions be given the same representation or less representation than developed regions?”

“Political reform should be gradual in Jordan. Big political leaps are counterproductive,” he argued. 

Asked if he expected the keystone piece of legislation would meet resistance from MPs, Kalaldeh said: “There is a positive atmosphere within the House regarding the draft law.”

In the government’s version of the law, the number of Lower House members was reduced to 130 from 150. Women’s quota of 15 seats remained the same.

Ensour said that the 2015 draft elections law, in its current version, is “more or less the same as the always-praised 1989 law,” a statement that has been challenged by critics, citing the fact that the 1989 elections did not include a mandatory vote for a ticket.

Reinstating the 1989 elections law has always been a pressing demand for many political parties, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

The proposed law received a positive initial reaction, including from the main opposition party, the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Brotherhood. However, the group issued a statement distancing itself from any comment by its members on the piece of legislation, saying that its official position would be announced later.  

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday received Shimon Fogel, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) in Canada, and an accompanying delegation, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty reviewed recent developments in the Middle East, particularly in regard to peace efforts exerted to revive the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

The King highlighted the importance of intensifying these efforts to relaunch the negotiations that should lead to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The meeting also covered efforts to combat terrorism, with His Majesty stressing the importance of cooperation to promote interfaith dialogue and understanding between different cultures with the aim of disseminating the values of moderation and tolerance.

Moreover, the King underlined the importance of the Jewish institutions around the world in supporting peace efforts in the region.

For their part, the delegates commended Jordan's efforts and sensible approach in addressing the current challenges in the region.

They also commended the Kingdom's pivotal role in supporting peace efforts in the Middle East.

The meeting was attended by Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director Jafar Hassan and the Canadian ambassador in Amman.

AMMAN — Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Judeh on Wednesday highlighted international and regional developments at a meeting that brought him together with Germany's leading parliamentary figures and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel. 

Discussions at the gathering, which came upon an invitation from parliamentary groups of the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party of Germany, addressed Jordan's position vis-à-vis the latest international and regional challenges the world is facing, especially with regard to combating terrorism and radicalism.

Also on Wednesday, Judeh held talks with Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on regional challenges and on ways to boost bilateral relations. At the meeting, Judeh underlined His Majesty King Abdullah's most recent visit to Germany in May, underscoring the important issues discussed during the visit and the need to follow up on them.  

Discussing regional issues with his German counterpart, Judeh renewed Jordan's position on the need to work out a political solution for the ongoing crises in the Middle East. He highlighted the burdens borne by Jordan as a result of hosting more than 1.6 million Syrians. 

The two sides also discussed the developments in the Palestinian territories. In this regard, Judeh stressed the importance of arriving at a solution, based on negotiations with a fixed time frame, that should lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital.  

Judeh underscored Germany's role through the European Union in support of peace efforts. 

At a joint press conference following the meeting, Judeh stressed Jordan's commitment to continued consultation with Germany, and highlighted preparations for a Joint Jordanian German session that will be held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meetings in New York this month on human rights, peace and security.

In reply to a question on the nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers, Judeh said Jordan has always called for resolving this file through peaceful means, expressing hope that the deal will lead to solving other issues in the Middle East.

AMMAN — The air in west Amman feels a little fresher for Mohammad Ayyad, a resident of the capital's eastern Hashemi Shamali neighbourhood.

"There is a lot to do in west Amman; it is less crowded and has more developed facilities," the 21-year-old told The Jordan Times, adding that he makes a 20-minute-trip every Friday morning to Al Hussein Park with several friends to play football.

After university lectures, Ayyad usually spends most of his time at cafés surrounding the university to get together with friends, study and work on projects.

"There is not much to do in the eastern parts of the city," he said, adding that basic services like street pavement, water supply and sanitation are in a much better condition in west Amman.

"There are tens of housing complexes all along the street I live in, and each complex consists at least of eight small apartments," he said, adding that hundreds of families in his area "have no breathing space or a public park to relieve stress".

Meanwhile, Alaa Talhouni, a resident of the Seventh Circle neighbourhood in west Amman, said services and development levels should be equal all over the city as residents pay equal taxes regardless of where they live.

"The western areas of Amman are becoming more crowded as residents of the eastern parts have limited or no entertainment facilities," she said, noting that western areas do not have "sufficient" facilities in the first place.

The level of services must not be determined according to the financial status of residents, Talhouni noted, adding that she sees a "gap" in development between the two sides of the city when she visits her brother who lives in Jabal Nuzha.

Remarks of Ayyad and Talhouni seem to touch on a development issue affecting residents in both east and west Amman.

At a meeting with Amman dignitaries, leading figures and military veterans at the Royal Court earlier this week, His Majesty King Abdullah highlighted the need for further focus on east Amman and the development of the Madouneh area to the east of the capital through coordination between the government and the armed forces.

Meanwhile, in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times upon request, deputy mayor of the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) Yousef Shawarbeh said GAM is keen on implementing Royal directives regarding improving the level of services for citizens in Amman, especially east Amman.

He added that GAM has started preparing a comprehensive development and service plan for east Amman in March, noting that work is under way to establish the “cars city”, a 1,000 dunum project with an open area for car exhibitions and garages that is expected to provide 1,000 job opportunities.

Furthermore, GAM seeks to establish a new 100-dunum slaughterhouse in the Madouneh area, a project that is expected to bring in several investment opportunities of concerned firms. In addition, the municipality plans to implement several projects for gardens, parks and playfields in east Amman.

He noted that GAM’s 2025 plan seeks to enhance development and expansion of the city towards the east and south, and to encourage investments in these areas. 

GAM, Shawarbeh said, provides all possible facilities for investment projects in the east of the capital to further develop the area and generate jobs.

Commenting on the issue, Jawad Anani, economist, former Royal Court chief and a severAl time minister, said some areas in Amman do not represent the image of what a capital should look like.

Furthermore, he linked between providing entertainment outlets and facilities for the young generation and the fight against extremism, as youths struggling with social injustice are easy targets for extremist groups.

Poverty in underdeveloped areas in east and south Amman is another issue to be addressed, said Anani, who added that combating poverty programmes mostly target governorates, although some neighbourhoods in Amman are in worse condition.

These areas, which highly depend on informal economies and craftsmanship, have “great” potential for investment projects that employ residents’ skills to generate income and improve living standards, he added. 

Anani said establishing a “creativity-encouraging” fine arts institute would help enhance and pass on these skills.

In an interview with The Jordan Times on Tuesday, Jordan Investment Commission (JIC) President Montasser Oqlah highlighted the commission’s belief in the importance of even distribution of development gains across the Kingdom.

He added that the JIC is currently working on a bylaw to further cut income taxes for investment projects in “underprivileged” areas, adding that the investment opportunity is what attracts investments, not any administrative or political decision.

AMMAN – Sales of residential apartments jumped sharply in August as government incentives spurred homebuyers' spending, helping the sector emerge from a yearlong slowdown.

Jordan Housing Developers Association (JHDA) President Kamal Awamleh attributed the rise in demand for housing units to the government's package of incentives announced late in July to stimulate the real estate sector by exempting buyers from registration fees for the first 150 square metres (sq.m.) of apartments sized 180sq.m. or less.

For any apartment that exceeds 180sq.m. buyers pay the registration fees without exemptions, according to the decision announced by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour at a press conference.

The incentives will be valid until the end of this year.

When comparing sales of housing units recorded last month with the months before, sales of residential apartments in August of this year went up by nearly 70 per cent to 5,512 units, while previously sales ranged between 3,000 and 3,200 apartments per month. 

The incentives were the main driver of growth in sales, which is expected to continue until the end of the year, Awamleh told The Jordan Times Wednesday, indicating that Jordanian expatriates in the Gulf region bought thousands of residential units during the summer season. 

Awamleh urged the government to extend the incentives period for at least three years to encourage developers to build more housing projects, adding the sector contributes to the economic activity of some 40 other sectors.

During the first six months of 2015, trading in the real estate sector saw an 11 per cent drop to JD3.42 billion from JD3.84 billion recorded during the same period of 2014.

The number of apartments sold in the June-August period was 11,755, according to Department of Land and Survey (DLS) figures, representing around 44.5 per cent of overall sales recorded during the first eight months of this year, which reached 26,655 units. 

A report issued by DLS Wednesday indicated that real estate trading in the first eight months of 2015 dropped 7 per cent to JD4.7 billion compared with around JD5.1 billion in the same period of last year. 

But Awamleh expected the property market to recover by the end of the year as it would be able to make up for the slowdown recorded in the first six months. 

As real estate trading last year registered a record JD7.76 billion, the JHDA president said trading is expected to be lower by around JD1 billion this year. 

“If there were no incentives, trading this year would have been much lower,” he added.  

AMMAN — A total of around JD214.659 million is allocated for public expenditure on the Balqa Governorate development programme between 2016 and 2018, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Imad Fakhoury said Wednesday.

At a meeting with representatives of various sectors in the governorate, some 35km northwest of Amman, Fakhoury said the estimated cost of development projects for 2016 is JD66.505 million, while it stands at JD72.360 million for 2017, and JD74.286 million for 2018, according to a ministry statement.

Stressing that the development programme should take the challenges facing the governorate into consideration, the minister said these problems include high unemployment and poverty rates, standing at 15.1 per cent and 20.9 per cent respectively, compared to 11.9 per cent and 14.4 per cent nationwide.

Fakhoury also highlighted the government’s commitment to adopting the outcomes of the 2016-2018 Balqa development programme, stressing that Wednesday's meeting is in line with the purpose of the draft decentralisation law to ensure governorates' participation in decision making.

As a governorate affected by the Syrian refugee influx, the minsiter said around $5.73 million in funds has been approved in the Jordan Response Plan for projects in Balqa, adding that the ministry is still contacting the international community to urge donors to contribute further to alleviate the refugee burden.

To benefit from investment opportunities in Balqa, according to the investment map for the central governorates, he said the government will cooperate with funds and microfinance institutions to direct their funding towards these potential projects.

Also speaking at the meeting, attended by lawmakers, local community leaders and representatives of the youth, women’s and private sectors, Balqa Governor Saleh Shoshan said the government, through the programme, seeks to achieve institutional results that benefit the community.

According to 2014 estimates by the Department of Statistics, around 447,200 people live in Balqa.

Shoshan also highlighted the development achievements in Balqa in the fields of human capital, education, training and health, in addition to the presence of financing institutions for small-sized projects that play a role in fighting poverty and unemployment.

AMMAN — Anti-Narcotics Department (AND) agents have thwarted an attempt to smuggle over half-a-million narcotic pills that were hidden on sheep in Mafraq, arresting two suspects, an official said Wednesday.

AND agents had received a tip that a group of people were planning to smuggle an amount of drugs to a neighbouring country by hiding them on sheep designated for export, a senior official source said.

AND agents monitored the group, pulled over their truck that was hauling the sheep in Mafraq, some 80km northeast of Amman, without any major incidents, the senior official told The Jordan Times.

Upon checking the 280 sheep, the official added, agents found “strange pieces glued to the sheep to make it look like it was attached to their wool and was part of their body”.

“This is not the first time smugglers have tried to use sheep or other animals to smuggle drugs and we are always on alert for any new method smugglers might resort to in smuggling illegal narcotics, mainly to Gulf countries,” the official explained.

So far this year, AND agents have foiled several attempts to smuggle drugs hidden inside items that would not look suspicious to authorities.

Suspects resorted to hiding the illegal narcotics in car tyres, biscuit packets, packages of sweets, olives, large marble blocks and children’s beds.

The official added that investigations into this incident could result in more arrests.

 “We have arrested two people but we believe more are involved and we might arrest two or more people as part of our ongoing investigation,” the official said.

The case was referred to the State Security Court prosecutor for further questioning and indictment, according to a Public Security Department statement.