JORDAN DEMOCRATIC REFORM STATUS REPORT: FIRST

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 002711 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2016 TAGS: PGOV KDEM KMPI JO SUBJECT: JORDAN DEMOCRATIC REFORM STATUS REPORT: FIRST QUARTER 2006 REF: A. STATE 47911 ¶B. AMMAN 2575 ¶C. 05 AMMAN 8303 ¶D. 05 STATE 152818 ¶E. 05 AMMAN 7979 ¶F. 05 AMMAN 4125 ¶G. 05 AMMAN 5232 Classified By: AMBASSADOR DAVID HALE FOR REASONS 1.4 (b and d) ¶1. (C) Prime Minister Marouf Al Bakhit continues working to build consensus within Jordan's political system for several of the recommendations contained in the report of the Commission for the National Agenda, a blue-ribbon panel which produced a ten-year plan for reform toward the end of the tenure of Bakhit's predecessor, Adnan Badran. Through dialogue with Jordan's political and social classes, Bakhit appears to be strengthening support for reform without drawing the criticism that Badran suffered. The introduction to Parliament of a new municipal elections law and an anti-corruption bill are evidence of Bakhit's incremental success. That said, reform is still a long-term process for Jordan, and while the three areas of post's freedom agenda for Jordan (ref D) - Freedom of the Press, Protection of Women, and Judicial Reform - have seen steady advances, no major steps forward took place during the quarter. -------------- FREEDOM OF THE PRESS -------------- ¶2. (C) Press Laws: Debate in Parliament is ongoing over the proposed GOJ amendments to the press and publications law, focusing on the GOJ's desire to annul provisions thct allow for the imprisonment of journalists and Parliament's insistence on maintaining that option. When the Danish cartoon flap reached Jordan, two editors were imprisoned after publishing the cartoons (government officials say privately for their own protection). Though the two have since been released, charges are still pending against them. ¶3. (SBU) Radio Broadcast Licenses: As ref C noted, Jordan's Audio/Visual Commission (AVC) was earlier reviewing license applications from two universities. The AVC has yet to approve either of these. However, post believes that the station out of Yarmouk University sponsored by Western Kentucky University should be up and running by the end of the summer. One FM broadcast license was awarded in February to Sawt Al Medina (Voice of the City) for a news, public affairs, and variety format. ¶4. (SBU) TV Broadcast Licenses: One TV broadcast license was awarded in March to Majd TV for a regional satellite channel, offering programs aimed at general audiences. The station owned by Al Ghad, ATV, is now scheduled to go on air in late summer. The delay (it was previously scheduled to start broadcasting in March) is due to the lagging construction of the station building, not political issues. A second applicant for a terrestrial station changed his mind, and will now be focusing his attention on cultural and commercial broadcasting for Iraq out of Jordan's Media Free Zone (MFZ). Another satellite station out of the MFZ, Mamnou', shut down since the last update. Mamnou' faced numerous legal difficulties related to copyright infringement. Mamnou' was forced off the air due to these legal difficulties and GOJ pressure. Regulation changes in Spring 2006 have subsequently brought the MFZ under Jordanian legal control. ¶5. (C) Press Association: The desire to repeal obligatory Jordan Press Association membership (ref C) is reflected in the National Agenda and is also one of the recommendations of the Millennium Challenge Account threshold program. Currently, however, this issue is on the back burner as the GOJ and Parliament engage over higher priority reform issues. Planning Minister Al-Ali noted to Ambassador recently that opponents of this change claim that any amendments should apply to all professional associations, not just one. Ambassador countered that issues related to the press association uniquely affected freedoms of expression, and should be treated uniquely. ¶6. (SBU) USAID's Technical Assistance Project: USAID is set to announce its new media development technical assistance program in April 2006, pending approval of a joint memorandum of understanding between the GOJ and USAID on the establishment of an advisory board to assist in implementing the grant. -------------- PROTECTION OF WOMEN -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Through the end of the first quarter, the press reported three honor crimes in Jordan. One of those killed was a man. In a recent verdict in the trial of an honor killing committed in September 2005, the courts sentenced the perpetrator to one year in prison for the murder of his daughter. The courts amended the manslaughter charges originally brought by the prosecution to a misdemeanor, as stipulated in Article 98 of the Penal Code. Even with this judgment, the perpetrator received a sentence considerably longer than the three- to six-month average for others who successfully argue Article 98 in their defense. ¶8. (SBU) The GOJ is taking steps to protect foreign domestic workers (FDW),who are almost exclusively females. In March, it announced the opening of a Ministry of Labor office dedicated to FDW issues (ref B),including the receiving of abuse complaints. The GOJ also formed an inter-ministerial working committee to address FDW concerns. ¶9. (SBU) The long-discussed shelter meant to house and help potential victims of honor crimes live independently and reenter society has yet to open. No new reports about the center's expected start date have emerged. ¶10. (SBU) Freedom House's MEPI funding ran out April 1. Freedom House requested a no-cost extension through the end of summer, but that request is still pending. Freedom House conducts violence against women awareness campaigns and holds workshops in rural areas to empower women. -------------- JUDICIAL REFORM -------------- ¶11. (SBU) American Bar Association (ABA): USAID's ABA-implemented project made significant progress since the last update. ABA succeeded in establishing an advisory committee of business community stakeholders to develop an agenda for non-court alternative dispute resolution (ADR) initiatives. ABA partnered with the Jordan Insurance Company to encourage the use of ADR in insurance cases. ABA conducted two workshops for members of three law faculties on mediation and arbitration. The Judicial Council (JC) issued the Code of Judicial Conduct as a JC resolution. ABA printed one thousand copies of the code for distribution. The JC approved the formation of a permanent judicial committee to advise the JC on the code and other issues of judicial ethics. ABA assembled a court employee ethics and accountability committee, and conducted four training workshops on "judgecraft" to be delivered to judges across Jordan. ¶12. (SBU) DPK Consulting - MASAQ (DPK): USAID's DPK-implemented judicial reform project also accomplished much during the period. DPK rolled out the court automation system in one of Jordan's major judicial facilities and renovated the facilities and re-engineered the work flow of another. During the period, the projects developed a curriculum for a judges' preparatory course. It finalized a set of standardized court forms to assist in criminal case management and court support services. DPK created a Ministry of Justice (MOJ) information and communications technology directorate, and provided training to MOJ information technology staff. Finally, the project established a small grants program and awarded grants to NGOs working to build public awareness of the justice sector. USAID recently announced that due to the progress the DPK rule of law program has made, and additional $3.2 million in funding will be directed to the project, increasing the total amount to $11 million. Over the next 24 months, USAID plans to fully automate all 74 courts in Jordan. HALE