Not the government nor MPs can tolerate the emergence of
figures of unconventional characteristics in this country. Everyone seems
willing to condemn anyone who has a personality or develops a unique political
identity.
اضافة اعلان
MP Osama Al-Ajarmeh is a prime example. Apparently, this
deputy will not be a regular lawmaker. Within a short span of time, he has
managed to draw the attention of Jordanians. He may be quick tempered, but that
does not mean he has bad intentions or not biased in favor of the people. When
he went into a factory, months ago, to secure jobs for the people in his
constituency, there was a misunderstanding. Accusations were traded and there
was an attempt to defame Ajarmeh, who failed to explain what really happened there.
We have to state here that storming a private establishment is unacceptable, as
is engaging in an argument with its owners and workers, even for an MP.
However, this does not eclipse the uniqueness of this
lawmaker, who will really become a remarkable figure, provided that he manages
his affairs better. We have seen how he was able to mobilize Jordanians to
protest near the Israeli embassy in Amman, where he became an icon of
pro-Palestine activism and reaffirming Jordanians’ historical stance on Palestine
— stand that should not be tested anyway, because Jordanians are the closest to
Palestine among the Arab and Islamic population of 1.5 billion.
Such exposure might be a source of envy for others, who
might try to break the deputy one way or another, because the prevailing rule
is that no one is allowed to stand out or outshine others.
The move we did not like was by the
House speaker, who
referred Ajarmeh to the Legal Committee, citing the harsh words he uttered that
involved defamation of and insult to the House members. The issue should have
been resolved internally and without the referral to the panel. It was not
difficult and there are several precedents. We have seen MPs calling others
names and even attacking each other physically, with some cases escalating even
further. Despite that, the deputies involved were not referred to the legal or
disciplinary committees, nor was their membership revoked. These problems were
solved interpersonally.
Deputy
Ajarmeh was angry in a recent meeting in which he was
discussing the blackout, charging that the outage was intentional to prevent
cars coming from the south to reach Amman to take part in a rally near the
Israeli embassy. He also asked questions about Jordanians arrested by Israel as
they snuck into Palestine, including one from his own respectable clan. He
might have been angry then, and when one is angry, one utters words one
wouldn’t say in normal circumstances. Apparently, the lawmaker did not mean to
insult his colleagues, who will be his colleagues for the remaining period of
the four-year term, which started a short time ago.
This situation has been subject to different interpretations
and hypotheses, and it might have been used to serve some political agendas.
Therefore, my advice to the House speaker is to not allow anyone to politically
exploit the situation, nor escalate it. There are those who will argue that the
deputy paid for his positions, not his fit of rage, despite saying things that
he himself doesn’t accept. We don’t accept them either.
There is still time to close this file. It is in the
interest of Jordan to have among us legislators who have the courage to share
their opinions and the truth, even if they break some rules and cross some
lines. Such incidents are, in fact, a sign that Parliament is alive and well,
rather than an indication of chaos.
As for managing the deputy’s anger, this should be done
through cooperation, and nothing else.
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