By Amer Al Sabaileh

The recent change has been welcomed as a long awaited, vital move, not because we are so used to government reshuffles but because change became a must. However, in order to complete the process towards an effective and healthy government, other steps should follow. There are many reasons for an attentive analysis of the current scenario but primarily, from the people’s side, it could represent the last acceptable chance to shape the government in this way.

Awn al Khasawneh has the advantage of being a respected judge whose chief merit in these tumultuous times is that he has not, as yet, been typecast with either a positive or negative stereotype which might otherwise have caused divisions or factions. He starts with a blank sheet on which to imprint his own image. On the other hand, he has few strong winning cards to back him up. Many Jordanians know very little about the new premier, they have never heard him delivering a speech, he has never had an active role in any political party. In other words, it would be difficult to judge his capacities or skills.

A pressing question now is the mechanism of choosing ministers. The new Prime Minister should be transparent in choosing his team as Jordanians will judge him from his ability to the right people for the right position. Any PM should motivate and justify his choice of minister and what he is expected to achieve in government. Every Jordanian has the right to know the reason behind the appointment of each minister, especially given the climate of distrust after numerous corruption scandals.

Thee Prime Minister is insisting on upholding the constitutional right of the executive powers to full jurisdiction. However, as we all know, no PMs have ever exercised complete control as they have always been subject to external influences starting with the GID and not ending with the RCH. The King himself has criticized the GID role on many occasions although, in my opinion, it was not just the GID who played this negative role but the rest of the security services too.

It is irrational to judge a book by its cover and we have yet to see what the new GID director will make of his position. On the other hand, if we recall his past as an officer who was notoriously one of the pillars of the intelligence service during one of the darkest periods on the level of liberties, it doesn’t leave much room for optimism on his capacity to deal with the current changes. Repressive tactics will have to give way to a more flexible approach which encourages open and transparent dialogue. Given the new director’s previous record, there will be a big question mark until he proves his capacities in the field.

After the dismissal of the previous GID director as part of the change, the risk is, that if there is a repeat of irrational, violent and aggressive behavior now, people will look beyond the GID for others to blame as the change was supposed to put a stop to all that. It wouldn’t take them long to reach the conclusion that the state is responsible for sponsoring violence.

Regarding the intentions of the opposition, particularly the Muslim Brothers, I don’t think that the Muslim Brothers will join the government whatever the incentives offered by the state. For them now it’s time to have the carrot policy and skip the part of the stick. In the best scenario they will join in a “testing balloon” style, by supporting candidates from among their allies or independent Muslims. They know perfectly well that before achieving any concrete result, pragmatically speaking, the street is the core of power.

The new PM has a really tough job on his hands especially in view of the new constitutional amendment, article 74. It obliges a Prime Minister who dissolves the Lower House to resign while at the same time preventing his appointment directly afterwards. This is a real test that the State ought to take seriously and should lead it to concentrate on the work in store for the PM in formulating an acceptable and representative election law. Only then will the real problem be addressed in order to achieve transparency in fighting corruption, the resolution of many unresolved cases awaiting justice, the restoration of the State’s reputation through grass roots measures and above all, proof to the whole world of the real intention and seriousness of the Jordanian State to carry out the reform.

Dr. Amer Al Sabaileh
http://amersbaileh.blogspot.com