Prince Hassan praises constitutional reforms

HRH Prince Hassan on Sunday said last September’s constitutional amendments were the most comprehensive in the Kingdom's history. Inaugurating a conference on "The Jordanian Constitution in Sixty Years", which opened on Sunday at the University of Jordan (UJ), the Prince noted that more than 42 articles of the Constitution were amended in line with the Kingdom's reform plan. The political reform process being carried out by the Kingdom came as a response to the growing demands of the Jordanian people for democracy and political rights and freedoms, Prince Hassan said. Outlining the most significant of the amendments, he said they had restored balance to the relationship between the legislative and executive authorities, citing the amendment to Article 94 concerning the issuance of temporary laws as an example. The amendments also reinstated the power of the legislative authority through the establishment of the Independent Elections Commission, the Prince added, and strengthened the independence of the judiciary by entrusting the Judicial Council with the affairs of judges. UJ President Ekhleif Tarawneh said the amendments removed previous distortions in Jordan’s 1952 Constitution and increased the rights of citizens. The conference, which was attended by several former ministers and deputies, will continue today to discuss working papers on the rights and duties of the King and the three authorities under the Constitution.