BAKHIT GOVERNMENT WINS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

S E C R E T AMMAN 009823 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2015 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL JO SUBJECT: BAKHIT GOVERNMENT WINS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE REF: A. AMMAN 9372 ¶B. AMMAN 9201 ¶C. AMMAN 5918 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Jordan,s Chamber of Deputies gave an 86-20 vote of confidence to the new cabinet of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit on December 20. As expected, all 17 Islamic Action Front (IAF) deputies voted against the government. END SUMMARY. -------------- A STRONG VOTE OF CONFIDENCE -------------- ¶2. (U) On December 20, the lower house of parliament voted 86-20 in favor of Bakhit's Cabinet. Bakhit had earlier predicted to Ambassador on December 1, that he would obtain a sizable majority (ref A). The Islamic Action Front (IAF) accounted for seventeen of the "nay" votes; two independent Islamists also voted against, as did one secular nationalist. One deputy abstained and three were absent. The Chamber,s Speaker, the recently re-elected Abdul Hadi Majali, voted in favor of the new government. (Speakers customarily abstain except to break a tie, but Majali also cast a vote in favor of the last cabinet.) ¶3. (S) We attribute the commanding majority vote to several factors: a desire to display national unity in the wake of the November 9 bombings; Bakhit,s competent politicking and hard work over the four weeks since his appointment on November 24 (ref B),and the behind-the-scenes lobbying of the Palace and likely, the security service as well. Speaker Majali,s advocacy for the vote of confidence was key. -------------- PROSPECTS FOR REFORM? -------------- ¶4. (C) The King has publicly charged Bakhit to bolster security and at the same time push ahead with the reform agenda. Security legislation is not likely to face opposition in the lower house, but it remains to be seen whether the strong vote of confidence will translate into a parliamentary change of heart on certain key elements of political reform. This is still the same chamber, led by the same conservative Speaker, that balked at reformist ministers last spring, and declined to act on anti-corruption legislation in July (ref C). ¶5. (U) Bakhit announced after the vote that his government will soon introduce reform legislation on elections, political parties, and municipalities. He also pledged to fight corruption, poverty and unemployment. ¶6. (C) Comment: Also on December 20, King Abdullah appointed Major General Mohammed al-Dhahabi as the new director of the General Intelligence Department (septel.) With the Cabinet,s confirmation and Dhahabi,s appointment, the King,s new team is firmly in place. Next come the real challenges for the King and his new PM: deciding how (or if) to roll out the National Agenda; seeking parliamentary support for political reform and further fiscal restraint, and deciding what to do if parliament refuses to go along. RUBINSTEIN