Jordanian government to present 2 draft constitutional amendments

The government will present two draft constitutional amendments to the Parliament, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Thursday.
He said the first amendment would entrust the King with the authority to name the army chief and director of the General Intelligence Department, while the second aims to give the Independent Elections Commission more powers to run the parliamentary and municipal elections as well as any other polls.
The prime minister made the remarks during a meeting with directors of state media institutions and editors in chief of dailies as well as columnists. A number of ministers also attended the meeting.
Speaking about the first amendment, Prime Minister Ensour said it would ensure that such key posts are not subject to political speculation, when parliamentary and partisan governments become a reality.
The premier affirmed that the General Command of the Armed Forces and the General Intelligence would remain linked to the prime minister directly.
"The recent directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II to activate the Ministry of Defense require constitutional amendments that aim to restructure the armed forces and restrict their role to mere military missions to protect the homeland and preserve its safety," Ensour told the top media figures.
The first amendment, he reiterated, also aims to segregate the military institution from politics.
As for the second amendment pertaining to the Elections Commission, the prime minister said it would bolster the role of the Commission as a reservoir of expertise to support the Kingdom’s march towards democracy.