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Ammon News - By Banan Malkawi

AMMONNEWS - Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on Thursday said that open protests are prohibited and will not be tolerated, but stressed the government's commitment to protect freedom of expression so long as it is done in a manner that "doesn't disrupt the interests of people and businesses."

In an interview with Jordan Television Thursday night, Bakhit said that the government respects citizens' right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to protest peacefully as they are rights protected in the constitution.

Yet he stressed that "instigating clashes, and the persistence of a small group of people who try to present Jordan as unstable, targeting the height of the tourism and cultural season to disrupt peace and Jordan's social and economic security, is categorically rejected and the government will not tolerate it."

He stressed that freedom of expression will be guaranteed as long as it does not disrupt the interests of citizens and businesses, and doesn't obstruct traffic, instigate strife, or attempt to impose opinion and domination on others, according to his expression.

He called on Jordanian youth to express their opinion and protest peacefully, but to carry the responsibility of Jordan's security and stability.

"They should distinguish between legitimate reform demands and the language that calls for escalation and serves objectives that are indeed non-reformist," he said.

Bakhit noted that the government has dealt with over 2,000 protests and demonstrations in the past 6 months, stressing that "the security apparatus has dealt with protests in a civil manner and presented Jordan as a model for democracy."

"We are one of the few countries that strives to guarantee the right of expression to the opposition... the state has even worked to dismantle loyalist demonstrations that countered the opposition movement in an effort to prevent friction between the two camps," he claimed.

"This is a government of political, social, and economic reform, and it works to reinforce dialogue with all parties and believes in their right to peaceful expression," he added.

Yet he warned that outside this context, "any attempt to exploit this free environment to negatively influence the rights of others and instigate them, disrupt their business interests, and disrupt the positive atmosphere in the country will not be tolerated."

He stressed that Jordan, the safe and stable country, is a model in the region that has made "near miracle achievements" in recent years despite its lack of resources.

During the interview, Bakhit presented an overview of his government's achievements in the past five months, notably the public assembly law, which no longer requires prior permission from local governors to hold events.

He added that the Political Parties Law and the Elections Law cannot be endorsed before the Royal Committee to Review the Constitution endorses constitutional amendments, which is expected to be issued towards the end of July.