Twelve Jordanian MPs resign over corruption

Dozens of Jordanian activists tried to enter the parliament on Sunday to protest against the vote of last Wednesday on the phosphates case.  The parliament has voted against the request of a committee to consider former prime minister Marouf Bakhit involved 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 accused the Royal Court and security services of protecting former and current officials they claim made financial gains from the privatisation of state-owned industries. For his part, Jordanian government spokesperson Rakan al-Majali told United Press International (UPI) that the phosphate company’s privatisation was theatrical and that Walid Kurdi was responsible. Meanwhile, Germany national news agency, Deutsche Press Agentur (DPA), reported that twelve members of the Jordanian parliament resigned on Sunday in protest against the decision by the parliament not to refer senior officials, including the former prime minister, for judicial investigation into corruption. The resigning MPs accused the parliament of succumbing to “external” 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.