A recent survey on democracy in Jordan showed:
81% agreed that the will of the public should be the basis of the government’s authority.
71% believe that the government should be selected through elections in which all citizens can vote
44% of respondents said the will of the public should have a greater influence over the government,
27% […]

If you love the TV show, Big Brother, and if it’s been a life-long goal of yours to be a contestant on it, then I’ve got good news for all you die-hard reality TV fans; Big Brother is coming to Jordan and in the most hi-tech of manners. The better news is that every […]

Director of the Financial Disclosure Department Nazim Aref on Sunday said 61 out of 110 deputies have submitted financial disclosure statements. Yesterday was the last day for deputies to file and submit their financial statements according to the 2006 Financial Disclosure Law, he added. The department provided lawmakers with the statement form on January 13, […]

The legislative session is over and MPs are on holiday. After doing pretty much nothing about helping the average Jordanian deal with rising prices, low wages, and fuel hikes, the MPs have decided to take this time off to help themselves. According to Ammon, MPs are asking for their wages to be increased, their cars […]

After sending the temporary traffic law to Parliament for approval, the government’s proposed legislation that would see fines rise to unprecedented heights, has been rejected by both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament. The main argument was that the fines were simply to high - running a red light was raised from JD100 […]

Sometimes, when you have an in-depth conversation with someone about certain issues, there’s a process of talking out loud and in doing so, your scattered thoughts on certain issues congeal and are aggregated to form an actual viewpoint. I enjoyed such a conversation recently with a reader of the Black Iris, and in doing so […]

Entitled the “Sarhan Well” - with the word sarhan meaning “daydreaming” as well as the name of the oil well in the valley known as “Wadi Sarhan” - I think Emad Hajjaj’s latest caricature perfectly describes this country’s pipe dreams when it comes to oil production; a topic that has picked up some steam recently […]

The latest draft of the new traffic law has been given urgent status in the Lower House, and will likely be put up for discussion but seeking an endorsement after the recess. Running a red light will now cost you 250JDs, that’s twice the average monthly minimum wage, which the average Jordanian earns. If you’re […]

To break the political monotony of the last couple of posts here are a few of my delicious pickings for the last couple of days that are more entertaining than serious.
- Recycled Wonderlands: Simply put, some of the craziest architectural creations you’ll ever see.
- Muppet President: You know how they say every president is […]

As the story continues to develop, it has taken quite an interesting turn. Hospital staff at the Prince Hamzah Hospital staged a one-hour protest yesterday in defense of the X-ray doctor who has been accused by the Prosecutor General for being involved in the death of Hassan Hafnawi last week. More insight into the case […]

This issue regarding the Danish cartoons is like a monkey on the nation’s back: it just won’t go away! The redundant quality to it has rendered it even more absurd than the first time around, which by now feels like ages ago! It’s like beating a dead dog with a stick.
On the front page […]

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian authorities on Wednesday released Jordanian Sheikh Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, a leading al-Qaeda mentor, after several years imprisonment without trial, security sources said. They said Maqdisi, who was regarded as the spiritual mentor of slain al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had been in solitary confinement since he was rearrested […]

Radio Al Balad on Saturday sent a letter of apology to the Lower House for reading a comment on air deemed insulting to the Chamber of Deputies and called for allowing the station to resume broadcasting sessions, which were halted last week. In the letter, addressed to Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali, Radio Al […]

Not only has AmmanNet - now called Radio Al Balad - been banned from broadcasting the Lower House sessions after MP’s filed a lawsuit against it, but now the regulator, the Audio Visual Commission, has also filed a lawsuit against the station!

“We filed a lawsuit against Radio Al Balad almost two weeks ago, after […]

No one liked the last Lower House but this one is just acting retarded these days. AmmanNet, which is now Radio Al-Balad, has been banned from broadcasting the Lower House of Parliament sessions because apparently they’ve insulted MP’s. Apparently the “insult” came by way of a comment posted by a reader on January 29th.
According […]

The astonishing verdict: not guilty.
Jordan’s parliament has rejected legal challenges to dismiss eight MPs for alleged vote rigging. The MPs were being investigated for alleged vote buying, allowing children to vote and threatening ballot box supervisors in last November’s parliamentary election.
Under Jordan’s constitution, the lower house of parliament investigates all charges of electoral fraud against […]