Jordanian opposition: New press law is bad for the country
Jordan, Politics, 6/8/1998

Jordan's opposition parties expressed disappointment and resentment regarding a new press law, secretly in the work by the Jordanian government. Some of the articles of the new law have been leaked to the opposition.

In a statement issued in Amman late last week, the opposition parties criticized the style the government adopted in dealing with the preparation of the law. "The way the government has been following in dealing with law projects, returns Jordan back to marshal atmospheres," a statement issued yesterday in Amman said. "It drives democracy away and continues with a guardianship policy," the statement continued.

"The law carries 61 arrows against the freedom of expression that has been constitutionally granted, forming an aggression against the rights of citizens and harms the reputation of the country," the statement said.

To pass a law in such a method by the government, confirmed a sense of marshal law, Jordan's opposition parties stated. "The government does not attach importance to freedom and the citizens' rights," they said.

They also said with a government specialized in inventing crises and continuing transgressions against individual rights, it is better for the government to resign, because Jordan is in a very critical situation and this is not time for such action.

The statement issued by Jordan's opposition parties warned that they intended to firmly oppose the new law which was prepared by the government that intended to cripple the press and remove its role in participating in the building of the country.

"Under the expected law, the press is to be pages filled up with hypocrisy." The statement said, "We, the National Opposition, see this step as a suspicious one." The statement also condemned the detention of writers and journalists.

The parties signed the statement are: Islamic Labor Front, Arab Baath Socialist Party, Arab Baath Progressive Party, Nationalist Labor Party, People's Democratic Party, Jordan's Communist Party, Jordan's Ansar Party, Arab Constitutional Front Party, Arab Land Party, Progressive Party, Democratic Nationalist Movement and the Future Party.

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