AMMAN — The establishment of a
National Security Council, as
proposed by the constitutional amendments that were passed by
Lower House Legal
Committee on Sunday, is receiving mixed reactions by legal experts, with some
describing it as an attack on the Constitution.
اضافة اعلان
Lawyer, former member Lower House and a member of the Royal
Committee to Modernize the Political System, Kais Zayadin believes that the
proposed council is a good step towards embracing reforms especially after the
Legal Committee made fundamental changes to what the government had
submitted.
“Under the proposed draft the King is no longer the head of
the council but he can call the council to convene,” Zayadin told
Jordan News.
“Sometimes political parties would carry the country’s
foreign affairs to a place that might impact the Jordanian national security.
Therefore, I believe in the existence of such a council but with amending its
structure, which the Legal Committee had done,” Zayadin said.
He said that the Kingdom does not have the option to stay in
its place “especially that the old way of doing things proved to be
ineffective.” Adding: “It is obvious where the old way got us, so we have to
push in the direction of real political reforms.”
Lawyer Omar Al-Khataibeh told
Jordan News that the Legal
Committee did well by removing
His Majesty King Abdullah from presiding over
the National Security Council. “This is because the King is the head of the
state and cannot chair a committee,” he said. “Only the executive authority can
assume the functions of this council,” he added.
“The council must take into account the partisan diversity
of Jordan. It has to be an independent and distinct authority to exercise its
role in a balanced way,” lawyer Mohammad Saif-Eddin told
Jordan News.
“The new amendments did not grant new prerogatives to His
Majesty, as they came to show how these powers are exercised to maintain the
impartiality of these sensitive positions away from any political or partisan
considerations,” he added.
Lawyer Emad Adwan told
Jordan News that the National
Security Council would be responsible for comprehensive national security
issues without having anything to do with the work of the government. The
council’s powers are to facilitate cooperation and coordination between state
institutions.
“One of the council’s tasks is to coordinate national action
and develop a strategy. Also it must coordinate and advise on policies about
national security issues,” Adwan said.
“It is not a parallel authority but will be present in
emergencies that require intervention to protect the interests of citizens and
the country,” he added.
However, Legal scholar Abdelrauof Alkasasbeh believes that
establishing this council is an attack on the Constitution and he questions the
powers of the council while stressing the importance of holding the council
accountable for its decisions.
“Nowhere in the world or under any constitution can there be
a power that exists without accountability. However, our Constitution states
that the King cannot be questioned or held accountable, so how can we make the
council accountable?” Alkasasbeh told
Jordan News.
He also questioned the council’s powers; whether it will act
as an advisory body or an official authority that makes decisions and implement
action.
“If it is the latter, it would be a catastrophe. Things are
not 100 percent clear yet,” he added.
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