AMMAN — The
Lower House resumed its deliberations on Wednesday over proposed constitutional amendments.
The House approved an amendment to the Constitution's Article 92, related to
holding joint sessions of the Parliament's two chambers to allow formation of a
joint committee to discuss different articles of any draft laws, agree on a
final version, and submit its recommendations to the two legislative councils.
اضافة اعلان
Lawmakers also approved
an amendment to the Constitution's Article 88, which addresses cases when a
Senate and House seat becomes vacant, under which the government will not be
notified of this vacancy as stated in the original text.
The amended Article 88
states: "If a Senate and House seat becomes vacant due to death,
resignation, or other reasons, with the exception of lawmakers who were handed
down a verdict invalidating their House membership. The Senate seat shall be
filled by appointment from the King. If the vacant member is a deputy, the
House shall notify Jordan Independent Elections Commission within 30 days of
the seat vacancy." The vacant seat is filled, in accordance with the
provisions of the Election Law, within sixty days from the date of vacancy notification
and membership of the new lawmaker shall last until the end of the Lower
House's term, per the newly amended version of the Constitution's Article 88.
A total of 106 deputies,
out of 109 MPs, who attended the morning session, rejected the government’s
amendment to Article 86 of Jordan's Constitution, which allows trial of the
Senate and House members, during the duration of the Parliament’s session. The
lawmakers voted in favor of returning to the Constitution's original text,
Clause 1 of Article 86, which states: "No member of the Senate and the
Lower House shall be arrested or tried during the duration of the Parliament's
session, unless the concerned chamber issues a decision by an overwhelming
majority that there is sufficient reason for his arrest or trial, or unless
he/she is not apprehended red-handed in a criminal offence."
According to
recommendations of the Royal Committee to Modernize the Political System, this
amendment enhances the rule of law, does not disrupt litigation procedures, and
grants House and Senate members the "necessary and sufficient"
immunity to carry out their legislative and oversight role.
The Lower House also
passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting members of both chambers of
parliament, while in office, from concluding any contract, lease, sale, barter,
or any other type of contract with the government, public official institutions
or public institutions or companies owned or controlled by the government. The
lawmakers turned down an amendment stipulating that the ownership of any cash
or in-kind gift received by a representative or senator because of membership
or on the occasion of it shall be transferred to the state's public treasury
and kept the matter regulated by current laws.
With regard to cases of
disqualifying a member of either chamber of Parliament, which are regulated by
Paragraph 3 of Article 75, the deputies crossed out the phrase requiring that
the King ratify the decision to disqualify the member, and considered that the
membership is legally nonexistent under the cases specified in the same
article.
Lawmakers also approved a
constitutional amendment stipulating that a government recommending the
dissolution of the House should not resign if the dissolution was within the
last four months of the parliament's term.
On Thursday, the House
will debate the remaining 4 article amendments of Jordan's Constitution, after
deputies approved 26 out of 30 articles at 8 continuous sessions over the past
four days. The remaining articles pertain to the formation of a National
Security Council (NSC), in addition to foreign policies and provisions related to
separating the Lower House membership from assuming a Cabinet post, as well as
expunging the three-year period mentioned in Article 128, which is the time
that was granted to abolish or amend laws and regulations, in line with 2011
amendment of Jordan's Constitution.
The House of Representatives approved a constitutional
amendment stipulating that any amendment of the electoral legislations,
political parties, the judiciary, the Independent Election Commission, the
Audit Bureau, the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Nationality Law,
and the Personal Status Law; that it must obtain the approval of two-thirds of
the members of the House of Representatives.
The amendment stipulates that “decisions of each of
the two chambers shall be issued with the approval of two-thirds of the votes
of the members of the House of Representatives if the decision is related to
the laws regulating elections, political parties, the judiciary, the
independent commission, the Audit Bureau, the Integrity and Anti-Corruption
Law, the Nationality Law, and the Personal Status Law.”
Read more National news
.jpg)
.jpg)
