Ammon News - By Amal Ghabayen

AMMONNEWS - Dozens of political activists and unionists on Friday staged a protest in front of the Lower House of Parliament calling for establishing 'constitutional monarchy' and implementing political reforms.

The protestors stressed that "people are the source of powers" and that Jordanians have the right to self-rule and self-determination.

One of the event organizers, Bashar Rawashdeh, who was also a signatory to the infamous "36 tribal leaders' statement," said during the protest that constitutional monarchy has "become a matter of right, and not merely a demand."

"Many peoples of the world are being governed democratically, while in some countries people are still being oppressed by un-democratic regimes," he added.

He stressed that the Jordanian people have the political awareness and readiness to govern themselves through fair and transparent ballot boxes.

Friday's protest in front of the Parliament in central Amman was called for by the "Constitutional Monarchy Initiative," with protestors "sending a message to all concerned that the people want constitutional monarchy and self-rule."

Press spokesperson of the newly formed "Unionists for Reform" (Naqabeyoon min Ajl Al Islah) movement, Maysara Malas, said that Friday's "symbolic" protest is the first of its kind dedicated to calling for transforming the Jordanian political system into a constitutional monarchy.

Regarding the small number of protestors, Malas justified that "many people do not understand the details of what the constitutional monarchy entails..but if the Jordanians people understand its importance and yields, then it will surely become a key populist demand."

Malas added that Friday's sit-in represents the launch of a series of events prepared to spread awareness on the merits of constitutional monarchy to the Kingdom of Jordan.