The Jordan Times

DEAD SEA — Jordan’s public, partisan and political life was the highlight of a session held Wednesday as part of the Jordanian Expatriates Conference 2015 to acquaint Jordanians overseas with developments from the government’s perspective.

Moderated by Jordan’s Ambassador to Brazil Malek Twal, the session featured government officials who discussed the reasons behind the Kingdom’s decision to ban Jordanian holders of dual nationalities from assuming ministerial and other senior positions and the new legislation that allows expatriates to join parties.

“When the reform process gained momentum, cases of suspected corruption surfaced and it was feared that they involved those with double nationalities, a matter that might hinder the ability to try them and hold them accountable,” said Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Khaled Kalaldeh.

The good news, according to him, is that Parliament has enacted new amendments that will enable Jordanians abroad to become members of political parties.

“It is no doubt that the Kingdom’s partisan life is lacking and for several reasons related to the way political parties were treated at a certain time. They also could not develop their discourse in the era of democracy,” the minister noted.

Expatriates taking part in the session voiced their frustration with their inability to be part of the democratic life of their country, especially those who live in the Gulf and do not hold another nationality.

“You have to help us instil the values of good citizenship among our children who find themselves away from the political and democratic life in their country of origin and the one they live in,” said Saeed Abu Odeh, a Jordanian investor in Qatar.

Turning to issues related to the media and freedom of speech, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Mohammad Momani stressed that Jordan deals with the media as a sector that is closely linked to the country’s sovereignty.

“The high ceiling of freedom of expression is the guarantee to deepen national security. The government believes that allowing the public to criticise its performance is better than exclusion, which is the incubator of terrorism and extremism,” said the minister, who is also the government’s spokesperson.

Conversely, and due to “irresponsible news outlets that spread dangerous rumours that threatened the national cohesion of society”, the Press and Publications Law was enacted, he said.

Momani added that several international reports have been “unjust” to Jordan, citing examples that have been corrected after going viral, such as the one that tackled the early marriage of Jordanian girls.

“We seek more freedom of the media and we rely on the awareness of citizens to differentiate between professional and yellow journalism,” the minister said.  

 

On the relationship between Jordan and Iran, he stressed that the Kingdom has always been a “country that calculates its interests carefully”.