House speaker says extraordinary session a success

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh on Wednesday said the House had "intensified" its efforts during the second extraordinary parliamentary session, which ended late September. 

He noted that MPs held three morning and evening extensive sessions on a weekly basis to be able to cover as many bills as possible listed on the session’s agenda, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

His Majesty King Abdullah summoned Parliament on August 17 for an extraordinary session to endorse several bills, including draft amendments of the Constitution.

The MPs endorsed seven bills out of the ten listed in a Royal Decree, Tarawneh highlighted. 

The Lower House endorsed the draft amendments to the Constitution, giving the sole power to the King to appoint and dismiss army and intelligence chiefs.

The changes also expanded the powers of the Independent Elections Commission and restricted the mandate of the military to defence affairs. 

In addition, MPs endorsed the draft independence of the judiciary law, political parties law, the public/private sectors partnership law, the investment law, renewable energy and energy rationalising, and juveniles laws.