Ammon News - From Mohammad al-Saleh, Ammon News Arabic

AMMONNEWS - Jordanian lawmakers and politicians found it unlikely that the current 17th Lower House of Parliament will be dissolved soon, citing that the House was elected only six months ago, and was delegated by King Abdullah II to carryout serious amendments to several vital legislations.

Jordan is set to hold municipal elections on August 27th, following nearly two years of postponement.

Jordanian Senator Bassam Omoush said it is unlikely that the Lower House will be dissolved soon, considering the current conditions in the Kingdom, and King Abdullah's emphasis upon the parliamentary elections that the parliament would last for its four-year term, and his emphasis on forming a government that would also last for its full four-year term.

Omoush told Ammon News on Sunday that there are no "manifest reasons" to dissolve the current parliament, considering that lawmakers have worked diligently during the extraordinary session to pass key legislations.

"There are no manifest reasons to dissolve the current parliament, unless the decision-maker, King Abdullah II, finds that there are reasons and justifications to dissolve that we are unaware of," Omoush added.

Former Minister of Media Affairs and former government spokesperson Samih Maaytah said that King Abdullah is keen to maintain the political stability of state institutions, especially that Jordan presented a model for reform amid the Arab Spring.

Maaytah explained that the King was clear in his directives to parliament following the elections to carryout essential amendments to the electoral law to guarantee better representation and justice.

Maaytah said it is unlikely that the Lower House will be dissolved in the foreseeable future, considering that it was elected into office only six months ago, and considering that the constitutional amendments adopted in 2011 does not allow the government to pass temporary laws, which would mean that the parliament has to legislate and amend the new electoral law before being dissolved.

"The objective of holding upcoming parliamentary elections is to conduct the elections on the basis of an electoral law that would be more representative than the current law. The aim is not to merely change faces because of the weakness of parliamentary performance during a particular parliamentary session," Maaytah added.

Meanwhile, First Deputy to the Lower House Speaker MP Khalil Attiyeh said that the current Lower House has worked since the beginning of the extraordinary session in February and accomplished a number of key legislations, including the Landlords and Tenants, Illicit Fortunes, and the Social Security Laws.

Attiyeh finds that citizens are satisfied with the Lower House's performance during the past session.

"But if His Majesty the king finds that dissolving the House is in the best interest of the country, then so be it," Attiyeh told Ammon News.

Similarly, MP Yusuf al-Qarneh found no political pretext to dissolve the parliament, despite various rumors in political circles that the House may be dissolved soon.

A number of local and pan-Arab newspapers published reports noting that there is Royal intention in Jordan to dissolve the parliament amid a series of changes described by the reports as "shocking."

The reports noted that the decision to dissolve the parliament is wagered with a decision to be issued by the Constitutional Court that finds the current Elections Law unconstitutional, which is the same law that brought the current 17th Lower House under the dome.