A live-streamed televised debate in Jordan’s parlia-ment on constitutional reforms including gender equality degenerated into scuffles between MPs on Tuesday, forcing the session to be adjourned.
A heated row — amid much pushing and finger-wagging — broke out between deputies and parlia-ment speaker Abdelkarim al-Daghmi.
The argument erupted during a debate on an amendment adding the female noun for a Jordanian citizen, to a chapter in the constitution guaranteeing equal rights of all citizens.
Several MPs angrily disputed the amendment as “useless”, in the session broadcast on Al-Mamlaka television channel.
Daghmi walked out and the session was ad-journed to Wednesday. Among other constitutional reforms to be discussed are the creation of a “Na-tional Security Council”, and the halving of the house speaker’s mandate to one year from the cur-rent two-year terms.
The kingdom’s constitution, introduced in 1952, has been amended 29 times, with the monarch’s powers increasing at the expense of the legislature, according to experts.—APP
