Local

AMMAN — Hate speech in Arab media, the decline in press freedom  and violations against media personnel in the region will be the focus of a three-day conference slated to open May 9.

Around 150 media personnel, civil society representatives, politicians, parliamentarians, human rights activists and law experts from the Arab world, and other countries are scheduled to participate in the Forum for Media Freedom Defenders in the Arab world, held by the Centre for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ). 

The event, which is being held with the support of the Norwegian embassy, will focus on the future of electronic media and discuss strategies to integrate media freedoms in the development of societies in the Arab world, CDFJ President Nidal Mansour said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

Noting that violations against media personnel in Arab countries have increased significantly, including murder, kidnapping and torture, Mansour added that other key issues also affect them such as difficulty in accessing information, interference by security bodies, self-censorship and the blocking of news websites.

The situation of the press post-Arab Spring will be discussed during the event, in addition to legal frameworks governing media work.

In December 2011, the CDFJ organised the first Forum for Media Freedom Defenders in the Arab World to address the role of media during the Arab Spring.

The second forum was held in May 2013, in conjunction with the International Press Institute’s World Congress.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday endorsed the draft amendments to the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) Law, rejecting a provision that imposes a 9 per cent interest on subscribers’ unpaid water dues.

The 150-strong House held two separate meetings on Wednesday to conclude discussions over the amended law and endorse it.

The law grants WAJ and its employees the authority to enforce the law when detecting any water violations without the need to seek police support.

Also under the amendments, WAJ can confiscate any machinery and equipment used by violators to dig illegal water wells. 

The measure is part of the government’s crackdown on water violations.

The authorities dismantled more than 7,091 illegal water pipes between August and December last year, 75.5 per cent of which were in the capital, according to Water Ministry figures.

The figures also indicate that 174 illegal wells were sealed in different parts of the country, while 12 water drillers were confiscated for digging wells without obtaining a licence.

In January this year, the Cabinet authorised the ministry to strictly end all forms of violations on water resources. 

In addition, the Council of Ministers endorsed several decisions and regulations to curb infringements, and maximise penalties against offenders.

These include depriving owners of illegal wells of agricultural or any other governmental loans and supplying electricity for wells only after clearance is obtained from WAJ, proving they are licensed. 

The regulations also prohibit the import of water pumps for wells unless the Ministry of Water and Irrigation grants permission.

The Lower House is scheduled to hold a general discussion session on Sunday to discuss the Privatisation Evaluation Committee’s reports.

Next week is going to be the last in the 17th Parliament’s ordinary session, which concludes on May 3. His Majesty King Abdullah is expected to summon Parliament for an extraordinary session in the near future.

AMMAN — Education in the Kingdom should be based on skills and abilities, and not “wasta” (favouritism) and tribal prominence, Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat said Wednesday. 

At a meeting with students at the University of Jordan (UJ), Thneibat discussed the status of education in the country. 

“The education system in Jordan and the neighbouring countries is deteriorating, this decline in education levels is not acceptable,” he said.

Citing official figures, Thneibat noted that 45 per cent of General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi) students choose the information technology stream over the scientific field, which, according to him, is a problem for Jordan in terms of the lack of diversity in university graduates over the last few years.

“All of our issues in Jordan need long-term solutions, we need a wide-awake conscience to resolve the problems we face.”

Thneibat added that the Jordanian educational system needs values, equality, fairness and objectivity to improve the learning process.

“We need awareness in the community as a whole to assist the education reform process in Jordan.” 

He said the education system is “starting to get back on track”.

“We had 32,000 attempts to hack the ministry’s website two days before the Tawjihi results were out, but none of them was successful, and 42,000 students got their marks the minute they were released.”

The minister stressed the need to raise students’ awareness and awaken their conscience to avoid carrying out actions that would harm the entire society.

Discussions also covered violence at schools and universities. 

“Whoever assaults a teacher or a professor on campus should be referred to court and face the consequences of his/her actions.”

“The education system started going in the wrong direction when teachers turned into employees  instead of ambassadors with a message to the new generation,” Thneibat told the UJ students.

“Teaching has become just another job rather than a calling, although teachers follow in the footsteps of God’s messengers.”

“Our conscience should [push us] to serve the community and appreciate educated people in society by employing them according to the degrees they hold and not the tribe they belong to.”

AMMAN — The Ministry of Social Development on Wednesday suspended seven employees over violations committed at the Karak Centre for Disability.

Fawaz Ratrout, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the employees were also referred to Karak prosecutor Maamoun Dmour and were “accused” of negligence, and the abuse of a disabled person at the centre.

Earlier this month, a disabled person at the centre was abused and “referring these employees to court was a result of this incident”, Ratrout told The Jordan Times.

Meanwhile, Social Development Minister Reem Abu Hassan stressed that the ministry will not be lenient with any violation or abuse of any person with a disability at any care centre.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, she added that the ministry has signed agreements with Save the Children and Protection of Victims of Violence to conduct regular checkups on beneficiaries at disability care centres and train their staff.

Last week, the ministry launched an investigation to look into complaints about violations at a Jerash disability care centre.

“The investigation is still ongoing and we have not received any report from the committee yet,” Ratrout said on Wednesday.

Although the ministry spokesperson was reluctant to comment on the type of violations, he said some of them are related to abuse of centre residents.

The centre, which is affiliated with the ministry, houses 200 people with moderate to severe mental disabilities, he added.

According to population and housing data for 2004, the disability rate in the country stands at 1.23 per cent of the population. The 2005 World Bank report on international disability rates, however, puts the rate at a minimum of 4-5 per cent or 194,000 people.

Last year, the Social Development Ministry shut down eight care centres and issued warnings to 14 others.

The ministry stepped-up its efforts to inspect care centres in 2012 after a documentary aired by the BBC featured children being abused in several special education centres, turning the matter into an issue of public concern.

Following the documentary, His Majesty King Abdullah paid unannounced visits to several special education centres and issued directives to the government to investigate all facilities providing services to people with disabilities and hold accountable every person involved in violations.

To this end, the Social Development Ministry formed a committee to investigate the alleged violations, which is continuing to examine the situation of orphans and disability care centres across Jordan.

Several centres have been closed down or received warnings since then, while legal action has been taken against staff members found responsible for violations.

AMMAN — Calm was restored in Maan on Wednesday following riots and roadblocks that resulted in one death on Tuesday evening, official sources said.

A group of men reportedly fired at a police patrol that was on routine duty in Maan, some 220km south of Amman, at around 6pm on Tuesday, prompting the officers to respond, a Public Security Department statement said.

“The shooting resulted in the death of one citizen,” the PSD added.

The incident sparked riots in the city, with angry residents blocking roads, Gendarmerie Public Relations Department Director Lt. Col. Ahmad Abu Hammad said.

“We used our trucks to open several roads that were blocked by groups of angry Maan residents, but so far there are no direct clashes,” Abu Hammad told The Jordan Times.
Maan Mayor Majed Sharari said the dead resident was 22 years old and was shot outside his house.

Sharari blamed security forces “for choosing the wrong time and place for the chase they carried out on Tuesday”. 

“Around 6pm is usually a busy time for residents of Maan because they run errands and visit each other, and the victim was shot at random because he was standing outside his house,” the mayor added.

He noted that the municipality announced a three-day mourning following the shooting incident. 

Most of the stores, public schools and Al Hussein Bin Talal University closed following calls by the municipality.

Despite several attempts by The Jordan Times to contact the university to confirm its closure, no one was available for comment.  

Sharari criticised the way security forces chased people, stressing that he is not against tracking down wanted persons, but “shooting at people will contribute in escalating the situation in the southern city of Maan”. 

Meanwhile, Abu Abdullah, one of the city’s residents, said a number of Maanis staged a demonstration in the city centre on Tuesday, burning tyres and denouncing the shooting, but the protest concluded without incident.

He noted that life was back to normal in the afternoon and people were seen shopping at the city’s main market.

Meanwhile, a Gendarmerie officer, who was shot on Sunday while on duty at a court in Maan, is still hospitalised at King Hussein Medical Centre, Abu Hammad said.

“The officer is still recovering at the hospital and is listed in stable condition,” the official added.

The injured officer was with three other gendarmes at 8:30pm when they were attacked by the occupants of an unidentified vehicle.

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Wednesday reiterated Jordan’s support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, foremost of which the establishment of an independent state.

During a meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Ensour also voiced the Kingdom’s keenness on furthering cooperation with Palestine in all fields.

Abbas briefed Ensour on the latest political developments concerning the US-brokered Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations.

The Palestinian president also said that more openness with Arab and Islamic nations, mainly Jordan, is a priority for Palestinians in the next stage.

The two sides stressed the vital role of the private sectors in exploring prospects for further cooperation between the two countries. 

Also on Wednesday, Ensour co-chaired the meetings of the fourth session of the Joint Jordanian-Palestinian Higher Committee with his Palestinian counterpart Rami Hamdallah, which concluded with signing eight agreements, memoranda of understanding and executive programmes in the fields of industry, protection of national products, agriculture, health, civil defence and meteorology. 

In the presence of Abbas, Ensour and Hamdallah signed the minutes of the meetings before they held a joint press conference. 

Ensour stressed, in his remarks to the press, on the efforts His Majesty King Abdullah exerts to promote and garner international support for the Palestinian cause, noting that a significant part of His Majesty’s international contacts, speeches and discussions are dedicated to this cause.

“Our visit to Palestine sends an unmistakable signal that we support you and every effort that would ensure Palestinians a normal life,” the premier told the Palestinian officials.

He said that deals signed Wednesday serve that purpose.

On a different note, Ensour urged the Palestinian Authority, “which is the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people”, to take moves towards national concord and called on other Palestinian factions to “join the PA as it crosses this threshold”. 

He criticised the Israeli siege of Palestinian land, in Gaza and the West Bank, as a violation to international law and humanitarian principles.

He said that the agreements signed between the two sides would be followed by others, which are in the pipeline. 

Jerusalem

In response to a question, Ensour stressed that Jordan recognises Palestinians sovereignty over “every square millimetre” in East Jerusalem, including Al Haram Al Sharif compound, which is under the custodianship of Jordan according to an agreement the King signed with Abbas last year, renewing a role the Kingdom has assumed since 1923.

The administration of the holy Muslim sites in the Old City is also stipulated in the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty.

“Jordan does not compete with the Palestinians for sovereignty over East Jerusalem,” he said, asserting that the Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic third holiest shrine and other sacred sites in the occupied city will stay “and be passed over from a generation to another”.

Peace process 

Ensour reiterated that Jordan is constantly kept abreast of developments in the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, indicating that Amman and Ramallah are keeping channels open for consultations, while Jordan and the US are also coordinating regarding the peace process.

He voiced regret that the negotiators would not reach a peace agreement before the April 29 deadline, according to a schedule set by US Secretary of State John Kerry.    

AMMAN — The government will choose four companies out of 45 qualified local and international firms to build 50-megawatt (MW) solar-run power plants as part of efforts to boost reliance on clean energy, the energy minister said Wednesday.

The Ministry of Energy has completed the signing of memoranda of understanding with 45 local and international companies which have until July 6 to submit their technical and financial offers, Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

“When we get the offers, specialised teams will start assessing them. We expect to announce the winning companies in September this year,” Hamed said.

The four 50-MW solar-run power stations will be located in the Mafraq Development Zone and the northeastern region of the Kingdom, he added.

Jordan, which consumed around 16.7 gigawatts of electricity in 2013 — a 7 per cent rise compared with 2012 — is keen to diversify its energy resources and boost reliance on local resources, Hamed said.

Also on Wednesday, the ministry signed memoranda of understanding with six companies to build wind-operated power plants in the Kingdom.

The companies have 24 months to submit their technical and financial offers, the minister added.

Each of the companies will build a 50-100MWwind power plant, according to Hamed.

In March, the government signed deals to build 12 solar-run power plants with a total capacity of 200MW. The cost of the 12 projects stands at $560 million.

In a separate tender, the ministry is in the process of receiving bids for renewable energy plants. 

Under this tender, whose deadline is on May 15, the government will select four companies at the end of this year and each will build a 100MW renewable energy power plant. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah, the Supreme Commander of the Jordan Armed Forces, visited the Civil Defence Department (CDD) on Wednesday and checked on services provided by the staff.

The King voiced his appreciation of CDD personnel's efforts to safeguard the country's achievements, stressing the need to develop civil defence services.

His Majesty also met with Lt. Gen. Talal Kofahi, the department's director, and listened to a briefing on the CDD's training programmes and future plans.

The King was also shown a prototype of an ambulance designed to carry 12 injured people and equipped with the latest technology.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday issued a Royal Decree proroguing the ordinary session of Parliament as of Saturday, May 3. 

Meanwhile, His Majesty appointed via another decree a new board of commissioners of the Independent Elections Commission (IEC).

Riyadh Shakaa was named chief commissioner and the following figures as board members: Asma Khader, Mohammad Masalha, Samar Haj Hassan and Ali Hrout.  

A Royal Decree had been issued earlier accepting the resignation of Khader from the Senate, as of Wednesday. Another decree was issued accepting the resignation of Riyadh Shakaa, Mohammad Ali Alawneh, Atef Btoush and Eid Jweied from the outgoing IEC board.  

An autonomous legal entity that is financially and administratively independent, the IEC was created under the Elections Law of 2012. 

AMMAN — The Public Security Department (PSD), in cooperation with Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. International, on Tuesday launched 20 information stations at police directorates across the country.

PSD Director Gen. Tawfiq Tawalbeh said the stations will provide police personnel with specialised training on computer use and English language as part of the PSD’s strategy to improve the performance of its staff.