AMMAN — MP Osama
Ajarmeh announced his resignation from the Lower House on Wednesday following
an almost week-long debacle that unfolded after a House session, in which
Ajarmeh claimed that the nationwide power outage was orchestrated to prevent
Jordanian tribes from taking to the street in support of Palestine.
اضافة اعلان
Ajarmeh’s comments
sparked controversy in the chamber, resulting in an altercation with another MP
that quickly turned into personal attacks. His refusal to apologize for his misconduct
ultimately pushed the House to freeze Ajarmeh’s membership for one year — a
decision for which 91 out of 103 members voted in favor.
The representative’s
supporters took offense to the motion to suspend him. On May 28, the MP,
brandishing a sword and surrounded by a group of his followers, blocked a
highway in Naur in protest of the House’s decision, claiming to take a stand
against injustice.
This became a cause
for concern for many spectators, who were worried about the legality of such an
assembly, especially given that it cut along tribal lines.
Speaking on the
blocking of the highway, a former minister of interior told Jordan News earlier this week that, “It is their right to do that, but we do not tolerate
any acts against national sovereignty and dignity.”
According to the Jordan
News Agency, Petra, Minister of Interior Mazen Al-Faraya also made his
stance clear, insisting that “the state will not allow for these gatherings to
be used by private agendas and spread fear among people.” He added that such
mobilization puts national security at risk.
In response to the
unrest, a new parliamentary memorandum was drafted with the goal of reversing
the House’s decision to suspend Ajarmeh, but it was not signed.
There is still
ambiguity surrounding the constitutionality of the original motion. While some
uphold that it is in fact constitutional, others have expressed skepticism. MP
Saleh Armouti is part of the latter group. “There is no constitutional
provision that allows suspending the membership of any deputy; depriving people
from having representatives in the House is unconstitutional,” he told Jordan
News.
As of Wednesday,
Ajarmeh has not expanded on his decision to resign, but instead cited “multiple
reasons” behind his resignation.
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