AMMAN, 14 October 2004 — A coalition of 11 Jordanian parties announced yesterday their merger into a pro-government centrist front, ahead of a planned Cabinet reshuffle later this month.
The Jordanian National Movement (JNM) pulls together 11 small groups which have had little influence, in a country with 32 political parties, and pledged it will strive to strengthen democracy in the country.
At a founding ceremony, it said the movement’s goal was to work to “achieve national loyalty, respect the constitution and the country’s institutions” as well as “bolster national cohesion” among Jordanians.
Most of the parties — Ajial, Rifah, Mostaqbal, Ansar, Amal, Nahda, Harakat Lijan Al-Shaab, Al-Aahd, Al-Wasat Al-Islami, Al-Rissala, Al Fajr Al-Jadid — were set up after a law on political parties was adopted in 1992.
The merger was seen as a first step toward implementing the goals of Jordan’s new Political Development Ministry.
It also meets the wishes of King Abdallah who last year urged politicians to regroup into three main parties covering the left-to-right spectrum that would be widely represented across the country.
Political parties “including those of the opposition” have a role to play in developing a modern Jordan, the king told the opening session of parliament on Dec. 1. “These political parties ... should be established and launched by the grassroots,” he said.
His appeal was echoed last month by Prime Minister Faisal Al-Fayez as he announced plans to go ahead with a government reshuffle in the second half of October.
In a television interview Fayez said one of the reshuffled government’s key tasks would be to adopt a “new election law that will take into account the social make-up in Jordan”.
Jordan held parliamentary elections in June 2003 in which the main opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF) won 17 seats in the 110-member lower house.
JNM Secretary-General Samir Awamleh said the aim of the merger of the 11 parties, which currently have no MPs, was to play an effective role on the political scene.
Jordan’s minister for political development, Mohammed Daudiyeh, lent his support by attending the founding ceremony and said the merger was “an attempt to lessen the number of parties, and therefore to strengthen their role”.
The head of the Islamic Action Front, Hamza Mansur, welcomed the streamlining on the Jordanian political scene. “We welcome any noble political competition because we wish to see strong and influential parties that are capable of being represented in parliament in order to push for reforms,” Mansur said.
