Senate president calls for ending protests to ‘avoid instability’

AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Thursday called on Jordanians to stop the marches and protests so as to prevent the “infiltrated” and “sleepers” from threatening the country’s stability, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Fayez noted that the recent protests have been witnessing escalations despite the resignation of the government and His Majesty King Abdullah’s directives to the prime minister to conduct a “comprehensive national dialogue” on the income tax draft law.

“We respect the youth’s right to express their demands peacefully and this right is guaranteed by the constitution,” Fayez said during a consultative meeting with the Senate on Thursday, adding “the young Jordanian people who took part in demonstrations have expressed their opinions freely while guarded by the various security organs, showing the mutual respect between the demonstrators and the security officials, and reflecting a civilised image that various Arab and international media agencies were keen on rendering.”

The senate president stressed: “Your voice is heard” and called on the protesters to resume back to their work and universities so as to “prevent bloodshed, preserve security and stability, and to give the new government, which is still in the formation process, an opportunity to present its vision on the controversial issues”.

He pointed out that Jordanians are collectively called upon to stand in line with the country’s security and economic challenges.

He referred to Wednesday’s attack on a Gendarmerie officer, and previous similar attacks and slogans that were offensive to the country and its constitutional institutions, which he said “cannot be tolerated nor accepted”.

Fayez called on all Jordanians to fight the perpetrators of these cowardly acts and reject hate speeches, which “only seek to shake the national cohesion”.

The senate president commended the Jordanian people who expressed their opinions in a civilised manner without violating the law and with full loyalty to their country and its Hashemite leadership.

He also voiced his appreciation to the Gendarmerie, who exerted “massive” efforts to protect the national security and ensure a safe and stable security conditions in the Kingdom.