Jordan on the way to reforms and elections

The success of Dr Fayez al-Tarawneh's cabinet in gaining parliament's confidence after three days of discussions, should not be underestimated, even if the discussions witnessed some offensive speeches at times, but in the end, the newly-appointed cabinet has secured the confidence of a clear majority of parliamentary members, despite the harsh economic policies Dr Tarawneh intends to apply. This confidence reflects a high level of awareness by the Jordanian people concerning the critical period their country is experiencing. Why should  this be considered an achievement? Simply speaking,  because Jordan now has a government led by a person who is ready to make unpopular decisions when he believes these decisions will serve the people in a positive way in the long run. This is what we call "courage", the courage of a person who refuses to listen to the calls of the streets, preferring instead to protect his country from a disastrous result in the long term rather than achieving popularity in the short term. Dr Tarawneh has proved he is a true statesman, who doesn't go in for the gloss of meaningless rhetoric or cheap popularity, but cares to find a way for his country to overcome the real economic and social crises Jordan is going through. These crises are linked to the recent problems of the global economy in general, and the critical conditions witnessed in the region specifically, as Jordan is no longer enjoying the discounted oil prices offered by Iraq, in addition to the frequent cuts in Egyptian gas due to the unsettled security conditions in Sinai, where the gas pipelines have been blown up more than 20 times in the last 15 months. It looks like the majority of Jordan's parliamentary members are now aware of the requirements of this critical stage, and that is why it was important to put a lid on the needless complaints against the cabinet, and to give confidence to allow it to start doing its mission, a mission to provide the right atmosphere for the legislative elections supposed to be held before the end of this year, according to King Abdullah's pledge, which he has reiterated more than once. This pledge is based on the king's belief on the necessity to provide a speedy  answer to the people's aspirations to decide their own future, and for Jordan to present a unique example of peaceful democratic change in an unsettled Arab region. So what is the next step after giving confidence to the cabinet? First of all, It is essential to keep working for reforms based on the priorities of this critical stage.  These reforms require a legislative framework inspired by the constitutional amendments approved last year, which includes creating balance between the different powers of the state, protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, founding a constitutional court and issuing a new law concerning the foundation and running of political parties. Yes, there is a series of steps needed to be taken before the elections; first, to found an independent body to run these elections, according to the highest international standards which guarantee integrity, transparency, and fairness; then the elections must be held on the basis of modern law, that ensures fair representation for all the components of Jordanian society; as well as giving real power to the parliament, that will lead to the formation of a government built on a parliamentary majority, so this government could gain the people's confidence, in order to face the social and economic challenges of the kingdom which has almost no natural resources. Jordan has taken its first steps on this progressive path, and now Jordanians themselves have to accept some sacrifices in order to help the country overcome its economic problems.  They have to be aware that the rise in fuel prices is because there is a real need to reduce the budget deficit. Jordanians also have recognise the importance of productive daily work, instead of the so-called "rentier economy". The main resource Jordan has is a human one, so every Jordanian citizen must learn the value of hard work in an organised manner rather than depending on the state. That is exactly why Jordanians working abroad are most likely to achieve success, while those who work in Jordan usually fail. This is a fact which must be admitted by every Jordanian, instead of listening to the meaningless slogans of the Muslim Brotherhood and those who agree with them, and refuse to learn anything from the past. By all means, the new Jordanian cabinet has shown great courage, and that its demands are not blind acts. The political leadership in Jordan is well aware that reformation is a must, but it is also aware of the difference between reformation and chaos, this chaos has no place in a country which has stable institutions, which have been able to overcome serious crises in the past, a country that has faced Israeli and non-Israeli plots since its foundation, a country which succeeded in demarking its borders and restoring its rights to land and water, at the same time as other Arabs were only interested in exporting terrorism and rhetoric which led to nothing but civil war, unfortunately, as we are witnessing in Syria.