Kingdom has seen attempt to undermine state authority — PM

AMMAN — Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour on Tuesday said that Jordan has gone through a stage that witnessed an attempt to undermine its institutions to weaken the state's authority and its ability to enforce the law.

Ensour was speaking at a conference he inaugurated on behalf of His Majesty King Abdullah, held to mark the University of Jordan's Centre for Strategic Studies’ (CSS) 30th anniversary.

In his remarks, the premier reviewed the political, economic and social transformations in Jordan since 1984.

He said that the country has gone through several milestone events since the establishment of the CSS in 1984 till now, beginning with the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war, the 1988 Disengagement Decision with the West Bank, the 1988-89 economic crisis, the 1994 Jordan-Israel peace treaty and the Arab Spring.

Ensour was quoted by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as saying that the Kingdom has undergone major transformations over the past 30 years manifested primarily in the shift from the long-preserved “pseudo-socialist” economy, where all the country’s assets used to be owned and run by the state.

He also said that 1989 was a year of exceptional significance in Jordan’s history as it marked the country’s reintroduction of political life after which public freedoms increased and brought on a dramatic change in economic policies.

In 1989, Jordan restored parliamentary life and martial law was cancelled, along with other laws that restricted freedom of expression and political orientations such as the Anti-Communism Law. 

On the Jordanian-Israeli peace deal, which marked its 20th anniversary on Sunday, Ensour said that the event has had its deep political, economic and social impact on Jordan, calling at the same time for more studies on the benefits of peace with Israel “if any”.

He said the country has witnessed several attempts to unleash the private sector following the peace agreement with Israel, wondering whether such a thing was of “rewarding or catastrophic outcomes”.

Ensour also said that Jordan has also gone through a state that saw attempts to “undermine and weaken the state’s institutions”, which have had an impact on the government’s ability to enforce the law. He called for more studies into this issue. 

The premier concluded his speech with a recognition of the leading role of the CSS and its credibility, stressing that it is operating independently with no interference from the government whatsoever.