JORDANIAN MPS EXPECT NEW GOVERNMENT, BUT NOT NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 006281 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2013 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM JO SUBJECT: JORDANIAN MPS EXPECT NEW GOVERNMENT, BUT NOT NEW PM, LATER THIS YEAR; COMPLAIN ABOUT POVERTY, CONSTITUENTS REF: A. AMMAN 05245 ¶B. AMMAN 05012 ¶C. AMMAN 04764 ¶D. AMMAN 04246 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In recent meetings with new and returning members of Parliament, PolCouns and PolOff were treated to a litany of complaints about lack of job opportunities and the need for continued USG economic support. While many MPs imply corruption on the part of the Prime Minister, most thought that he would not/not be replaced in an expected December cabinet reshuffle. MPs stressed that widespread poverty and unemployment were their most pressing and important issues. This led to calls for greater U.S. financial assistance. Lack of jobs, medical care and educational opportunities are the most oft-repeated concerns raised by constituents who sometimes go to extremes to pigeon-hole their representatives. End summary. -------------- -------------- SUPPORT FOR THE KING, SNARLS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) During the recently-concluded special session of the 14th Jordanian Parliament, PolCouns and PolOff met a broad spectrum of members of the Lower House of Parliament (MPs) to hear their opinions and to ask questions regarding the future of the country. While individual views varied, several recurrent themes surfaced with respect to domestic matters. ¶3. (C) All of the MPs voiced satisfaction with, and at times praise for, King Abdullah and his vision for Jordan. This strong support for the monarchy generally spilled over into backing for the King's appointed government, as reflected in the large margin of victory for the Cabinet in the parliamentary vote of confidence (see ref a). This did not extend, however, to current Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb. Instead, MPs expressed personal dislike for Abu Ragheb, with some implying that he was lining his pockets at the expense of the people. ¶4. (C) Long-time MP and Parliamentary bloc leader Abdul Karim Dughmi (East Banker, Mafraq),described the PM as a "liar who promises to do something, six weeks later promises again to do it, then six weeks later says he never discussed the subject." He said that the PM had engaged in "inappropriate" use of his government position to benefit his family businesses. MP and former Amman Mayor Dr. Mamduh al-Abbadi (East Banker, Amman 3rd District) and MP Dr. Odeh Qawwas (Christian Palestinian, Amman 3rd District) also expressed great discomfort with the PM's continued active involvement in his businesses while in office. Several other MPs expressed similar strong criticism of the PM's business practices, but stopped short of directly accusing him of corruption. ¶5. (C) Despite deep dissatisfaction with Abu Ragheb, few MPs expected him to be replaced when the Parliament reconvenes, most likely in early December, and a new government announced. While a few ministers may be removed, several MPs thought the King needs to leave Abul Ragheb in place to defend the numerous temporary laws that his government promulgated in the absence of Parliament (see ref c). MP Mohammad al-Badri (East Banker, Aqaba) argued that the King has a strong interest in seeing the temporary laws approved, and a new PM would not be able to defend them as well as the PM responsible for them in the first place. -------------- -------------- CAN YOU SPARE A DIME...OR ANOTHER BILLION DOLLARS? -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Among the most frequent themes voiced by MPs was the urgent need to reduce the widespread poverty and unemployment in the Kingdom (Comment: translation -- find jobs for their constituents. End Comment). While generally not blaming the government's economic policies for this situation -) in fact, we heard little criticism of ongoing economic reforms -) the MPs warned that unemployment and lack of opportunities were potential threats to stability and thus should be a real concern for the U.S. MP Dr. Abdullah Al-Jazi, (East Banker, Southern Badia),talked of the severity of poverty in rural areas and how disaffected youths without jobs are vulnerable to recruitment by extremists. Since, he asserted, providing jobs for the people is clearly in the interests of the both the U.S. and Jordan, al-Jazi believed that the U.S. (in addition to wealthy Gulf states) should step-up its economic aid levels. Mohammad Al-Shawabkeh, (East Banker, Madaba) a first-time MP and successful businessman, admitted that many Jordanians lack the entrepreneurial spirit needed to get ahead, but he nevertheless said the U.S. should continue to help its friend and ally (i.e., Jordan) with greater financial assistance. -------------- EVERYBODY WANTS A FAVOR -------------- ¶7. (C) Even though they have been in office barely three months, several MPs were already beginning to show signs of exasperation with the scores of constituents hounding them for favors. Since many MPs do not have formal offices in their home districts, constituents wanting help either seek them out in the Parliament building in Amman or at their private residences back home. MP Qaqish and MP Mohammad Arsalan (Chechen, Zarqa) complained that they have to continually change their mobile hone numbers to avoid 2:00 a.m. calls from desperate -- and discourteous -- constituents. ¶8. Mirroring the comments of many of his colleagues, Dr. Mohammad Al-Badri and MP Marwan Sultan (East Banker, Amman 3rd District),said that a majority of their constituents ask for jobs for themselves or family members. Second on the list was free medical care, including the scheduling and payment of costly operations, followed by educational opportunities such as a guaranteed place in a university or a scholarship for higher education. ¶9. (C) While Al-Badri seemed a bit overwhelmed by the volume of favors requested ) during one lengthy lunch meeting his mobile phone never ceased buzzing (not yet having adopted the cell phone hopping of some of his colleagues) -) he recognized that responding to his constituents was very important. To illustrate this point, he told the story of another MP from his district who lost the June elections to an Islamic Action Front (IAF) candidate. Al-Badri credited this defeat to the fact that the MP had become aloof and removed from his constituents, while the IAF candidate aggressively reached out to individuals during the election campaign. Thus voters who did not support IAF ideology nevertheless supported the IAF candidate as they saw him more likely to grant them favors and listen directly to their needs. -------------- NEW PARLIAMENT, BUT SAME OLD STORY? -------------- ¶10. (C) MPs patted themselves on the back while describing the 14th Parliament as younger and more educated than previous bodies (see ref d). However, several veteran MPs doubted whether this would translate into a new sense of vigor and modernism in the Parliament. Ghaleb Al-Zubi, three-time MP and chairman of the Legal Committee (East Banker, Balqa),opined that a large majority in the current Parliament appear motivated primarily by personal self-interest, rather than a strong sense of service to their country. This, he argued, poses a real obstacle to the development of genuine political parties since past Parliamentary experience has shown that individual MPs bolt from loosely-organized blocs of MPs as soon as the affiliation no longer serves their personal needs. MP Raed Qaqish (Christian East Banker, Salt) said that personal ambitions for leadership are already tearing at the fabric of his "New Reformers Bloc." ¶11. (C) Zubi stated that MPs in the latest Parliament, like their predecessors, often made decisions or comments without any real knowledge of the subject. For example, in the case of the temporary "khuloe" law permitting women to divorce their husbands (see ref b),many MPs quickly condemned the law as un-Islamic when, according to Zubi, Islamic scholars from al-Azhar University in Cairo had expressly endorsed a similar law in Egypt, and similar statues were found in other Muslim countries. Opposition to other temporary laws, he concluded, might be based on a desire to show that Parliament is not a mere rubber-stamp for the government. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶12. (C) While many of the MPs did complain about U.S. foreign policy and other international concerns (septel), most of their energy was reserved for domestic issues -- particularly poverty, unemployment, and pesky constituents, again proving the adage that all politics is local. Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. GNEHM