Thousands of Jordanians demand political reforms

Thousands of Jordanians demand political reforms

2011-10-08 15:27:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

AMMAN (BNO NEWS) -- Thousands of protesters on Friday participated in a pro-reform demonstration in the Jordanian capital of Amman organized by a coalition of reform movements, local media reported on Saturday.

Protesters chanted slogans against the Jordanian parliament and called for the ouster of the government while marching the streets of Amman. They condemned what they described as 'rampant and endemic corruption' and demanded genuine political reforms, Ammon News reported.

Participants also blasted the 2011 draft of the Anti-Corruption Commission bill, which is attempting to establish hefty fines on exposing corruption. They chanted "a journalist pays thousands to expose the corrupt" and held a placard that listed names of important Jordanian figures as part of a "Corruption Team."

There were also a number of other demonstrations in other cities throughout the Kingdom. All the protesters were held under the banner of "Eradicating Corruption."

Jordanian protesters have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit's government for its failure to carry out political reforms. They are also demanding the trial of corrupt officials and have stressed that they will continue protesting until they witness "real and tangible measures" to combat corruption.

In July, Jordan's King Abdullah II issued a decree approving a cabinet reshuffle in Bakhit's government. This was the first reshuffle of the cabinet, which was formed in February after protesters called for the resignation of then-current prime minister Samir Rifai and his government. The previous government was blamed for price hikes, excessive taxation, unemployment, and difficult economic conditions.

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