The kingdom has seen a series of pro-reform protests over the past year Dozens of Jordanian activists attempted to enter the parliamentary buildings on Sunday during a demonstration over voting on Wednesday that rejected the recommendation of a parliamentary committee implicating former Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit in the “unconstitutional” sale of a phosphates company to the Brunei government. The kingdom has seen a series of pro-reform protests over the past year.
Activists accuse the Royal Court and security services of protecting former and current officials they claim made financial gains from the privatization of state-owned industries.
For his part, Jordanian government spokesman Rakan al-Majali told United Press International (UPI) that Phosphate Company’s privatization was theatrical and Walid Kurdi is responsible.
Within the same context, Germany national news agency (dpa) reported that Twelve members of the Jordanian parliament resigned on Sunday in protest at a decision by parliament not to refer senior officials, including a former prime minister, for judicial investigation into corruption.
The resignations come after Wednesday’s heated debate and vote.
The resigning MPs accused parliament of succumbing to “outside” political pressure in the largest corruption case in the country’s history.
“This vote was against the demands and the will of the people, and as their elected representative I can no longer serve in parliament,” Anoor Ajarmeh told dpa.
“There are forces at work that are protecting the corrupt and we call on the king to help us uphold the law with no exceptions,” he added.
Despite moves to counter corruption, including the recent referral of the country’s former intelligence chief Mohammed Dahabi and former Amman Mayor Omar Maani to the state prosecutor on charges of money laundering, the courts have yet to convict a single former official.