Youth voice hope, eagerness for ‘real change’ from new gov’t

AMMAN — Prime Minister Omar Razzaz's new government formation has "rejuvenated" the expectations of many Jordanian youth, while it "disappointed" many others, who voiced hope that the Fourth Circle protests will not "go in vain".

"Razzaz has shown great performances during his time at the Education Ministry, so we are hopeful that he will also excel in leading the new government, even if some ministers remained unchanged," 21-year-old Qutaiba Bashabsheh told The Jordan Times on Monday, adding "Jordanians are not greedy, but they are not naïve either; all we want is a decent life so people can stay here and serve their land instead of resorting to emigration."

"We aspire for the economic situation to be the focus of the new government, by offering more job opportunities, reasonable living costs, and a transparent and fair tax environment," Bashabsheh continued.

For activist Noor Abu Goush, the new team, which includes 15 ministers from the previous government, was "disappointing" and raises many question marks. "We felt that the promised 'change in the approach' was not met as the new ministerial team is, again, not representative of the society's various spectrums, with no new or young faces joining the scene."

"Since the first step was not what we hoped, we now aspire for an open dialogue with the people, youth empowerment, a concrete implementation of the paper plans, and a boost in the economic situation," she pointed out, stressing "the prime minister's communication with the people through social media is very positive and unprecedented, but we want to see a tangible effect of this communication, not only as a mean for appeasing the public anger.”

For Mohammad Abu Driaa, a chemistry student at the University of Jordan, "the government should not only start discussions with associations and political parties for the sake of dialogue, but also for the sake of rescuing the country by dealing with corruption and tax evasion, limiting the government's expenditures and breaking the dominance of the International Monetary Fund."

"The government shouldn't isolate itself from the street and it should stop its arrogant attitude towards the people," Abu Driaa stressed, adding "a comprehensive change and a cumulative development can be reached by realising and taking into considerations the society's demands.”

Twenty-four-year-old Asma Al Sardy voiced her hope to see Razzaz's government make "a real change" and help move the country towards productivity.

On social media, a number of youth movements called for a 100-day-long chance to be given to the new government, claiming they will go to the streets again if no change is seen.

"Our demands are clear and heard; now it is not a matter of time but of achievement," stated 28-year-old activist Mohammad Qasem, adding "our most important demand is changing the government approach, which includes a new Election Law for the Parliament that is not based on geography, but on competence, and this will lead us to the optimum goal of an elected government that is representative of the people and realises its needs and demands."

Qasem also stressed that the punishment of corrupt people is "the first step" to saving the country's economy. "There must be strict laws and censorship to fight corruption, which has reached severe levels over the course of several governments," he claimed.

For his part, Razzaz on Sunday said that the new government formation was "not meant to change all faces", but rather to form an economic team that is aware of the social dimensions of financial decisions.

In a Facebook post he published to answer rumours circulated on social media, the premier stressed: "The team has set several goals to achieve, which we will be held accountable for."

He also noted that he is keen on following up with the people on social media, emanating from his belief in their constructive role, which contributes to a wider dialogue and a direct communication with people.

Razzaz added that the government will announce several measures by the end of the week, where tools for communication with the people will be announced so as to take their ideas and suggestions into consideration.

"The path is long and difficult, but it is attainable with your efforts with us towards achieving the same goal; and the path is not lonely if we walk together towards a better future," Razzaz concluded.