Jordanian PM announces parliamentary elections

The Jordanian Prime Minister, Dr. Fayez Tarawneh, has announced that parliamentary elections will be held in December, despite the boycott decision taken by the Islamic movement and other popular movements. Tarawneh considered the ratification of the election law by Jordan's King Abdullah II, signals the beginning of the countdown for the parliamentary elections which will be before the end of this year. "The King has announced early parliamentary elections, while the independent body overseeing the elections, will determine the date” the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister, in a comprehensive dialogue with  Jordan News Agency, reviewed  the government's vision on a variety of domestic issues and others related to Syrian affairs, expressing his belief  that the government is doing its utmost to provide the independent commission charged with overseeing the election,  with adequate logistical, financial and administrative support. Tarawneh confirmed  that once the preparations of the Independent Commission are finalised by the end of August or beginning of September, it will then be able to determine the date on which the elections will be held, cautioning that the parliamentary elections will be challenge for Jordan, especially concerning the big issue, which is the constitutional amendments: "When a State amends as much as one third of its Constitution; this reflects a courageous and grand step towards the process of  reform" Tarawneh explained. "This challenge should be confronted with a national spirit" pointing out that the King has been speaking about reform "for a long time". The Prime Minister explained that the political will was there to pave the way to hold  fair parliamentary elections, "with no tampering." He gave reassurances that adequate guarantees will be available to ensure the integrity of the elections including  the Independent Commission., adding that the cornerstone of any electoral process is not the law, but the procedures that accompany the electoral process. Referring to the Muslim Brotherhood which has said it will boycott the forthcoming parliamentary elections in protest at the kingdom's election laws, saying that recent reforms fall short of its demands., Tarawneh said:  "The boycott is not something the party should be proud of. Those who do not like the constitutional path, should participate in the elections, and start from inside the Parliament, where they have the constitutional and parliamentary immunity, to change things. The party that boycotts the election is the loser. The national interest needs the participation of everyone." The Prime Minister emphasised that the endorsement of the election law made by the King on Monday, signifies that the law is final and will be published in the official Gazette shortly. Talking about the situation in Syria and its consequences for Jordan, Tarawneh said that his government's prime concern is to protect the rights of Jordanians and to protect the borders and to continue Jordan's humanitarian mission towards the Syrian refugees." Our political position is clear: that Jordan is not a party to the Syrian internal conflict, We hope that there is a peaceful way out of the crisis  in order to stop the bloodshed. In Jordan, we review our position and our interest according to precise calculations .The Syrian crisis is like the chaos caused by the Arab Spring, which has had negative repercussions on tourism and investment. " The Prime Minister explained that the increasing number of Syrian refugee into the country has forced the Jordanian government to establish refugee camps for them in the Zaatari area of the Mafraq governorate where ??5000 acres or land has been secured to accommodate the establishment of 22 camps that will host about 5000 people. All Syrian refugees in the kingdom will be deported to the camps away from residential areas.