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Ammon News - From Wael Al Jaraisheh

AMMONNEWS - Dozens of lawmakers on Sunday announced forming a parliamentary coalition to serve as a "shadow government" less than a week after the parliament granted confidence to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour's government.

Over 40 Members of the Lower House of Parliament met on Sunday, a majority of whom gave a no-confidence vote in last week's parliamentary session.

A total of 66 MPs voted "nay," compared to 82 deputies who gave a vote of confidence to Ensour's cabinet.

MP Myassar Sardiyah said on Sunday that the "shadow government" coalition will not be limited to MPs who blocked confidence, but will also include MPs who granted confidence but wish to work diligently to balance government performance and policies.

"The coalition is open, and the future plan is to include political currents from outside the Lower House as well," Sardiyah told Ammon News.

She revealed that a "political council" has been formed for this coalition, aimed to draft the key principles and objectives of the coalition.

Several suggestions were posed during the deputies' meeting on Sunday, Sardiyah said, including: forming a political council consisting of 11 MPs, reaching consensus on the minimum demands for the future of political life, and agreement on a number of political issues, including the Syrian crisis and rejecting US military presence on Jordanian land.

MPs who attended the meeting stressed that this coalition will serve as a "shadow government," not for the sake of opposing the government but rather to work for the best interest of the country which is being afflicted with grave political and economic crises.

Lawmakers suggested keeping channels of communications open with activist movements and political parties, particularly ones that boycotted the parliamentary elections, and forming advisory political and economic committees in cooperation with civil society organizations, reform movements, and opposition political parties.