AMMAN, 22 March 2007 — Jordan’s lower house of Parliament yesterday voted to endorse writing off a controversial clause providing for the imprisonment of journalists in the new press and printing draft law. The chamber approved the clause ten days ago, sparking a wave of protests throughout the country.
But the upper house of Parliament, apparently responding to public opinion pressures, decided to reject the clause and returned the draft law back to the lower house, which revoked its previous attitude.
The canceled clause allows the imprisonment of journalists in cases of violations relating to “degradation, defamation, vilification or abuse of religion” as well as “slandering or libeling of persons.” However, the upper house, the Senate, approved a new Political Parties Law that raises the minimum number of party members to 500 in order to receive an official license from the government.
The new legislation prompted 33 our of the country’s 34 registered political parties to urge King Abdallah to intervene so as to put an end to what they called a “state of siege” imposed on them in tandem by the cabinet and the House of Representatives.
