Excessive displays of emotion and empty slogans have harmed Jordan politically and economically, Prime Minster Ali Abul Ragheb said on Saturday.
Speaking to representatives of political parties and professional associations, Abul Ragheb stressed that democracy and public freedoms were not merely manifested in marches and protests, but fell under national and legal behavior in accordance with the law and constitution, the Jordan Times quoted him as saying.
Abul Ragheb told political activists that the government would not back down on its ban on demonstrations and marches, adding that it would only allow regulated public activities that were agreed upon and took place within specified boundaries.
He added that the government was working for the development of the kingdom's political life, but that the issue of public demonstrations should be based on cooperation between civic institutions and the executive branch.
The premier was reacting to complaints by members of civic institutions over the alleged "regression in public freedoms" following last month's renewed ban on all sorts of public demonstrations and activities, which the government said "posed a threat to security and stability and hamper the people's interests."
The ban came amidst a systematic escalation of violence in the Palestinian territories and growing public anti-Israeli sentiment since the start of Al Aqsa Intifada, which has so far claimed the lives of over 460 Palestinians.
One Palestinian refugee was killed in clashes with the security forces, which cracked down on a Baqaa refugee camp protest.
During the Intifada, three attacks on Israeli diplomatic staff have been carried out in Jordan, lightly injuring two.
Political parties and professional associations have protested the ban and announced a number of countermeasures, including studying the possibility of appealing to the Higher Court of Justice, and preparing several public activities marking Palestinian Prisoners Day and the Nakbeh on May 15.
The parties and associations met with the prime minister to explain that the ban on public activities was a step backwards and a threat to civil and political life, said the paper.
"Our meeting with Abul Ragheb was part of our continued dialogue with the government," said Azzam Hneidi, the president of the associations' presidents' council.
He said the representatives stressed the need for enhanced public freedoms and the urgency of lifting the ban on public activities guaranteed by the constitution - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
