A number of constitutional amendments passed by the Jordanian parliament recently are designed to make King Abdullah II immune from potential coups, analysts say. Welcomed by pro-monarchy MPs and opposed by Islamists, the amendments grant the king the power to appoint and dismiss senior army officers. They stirred controversy in Amman’s parliament, with opponents questioning the motives behind them, and asking whether they were introduced as a result of foreign diktats.
The amendments, approved on Monday by a parliamentary majority, came three years following broad changes in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring. They included 42 articles but did not address the authority of the king in appointing and dissolving governments.
Abdelhady Al-Magaly MP justified the amendments by saying that Jordanians will not allow political parties to intervene in the security services and the army. “The link between the king, the army and security chiefs is a stabilising factor in light of the turmoil witnessed in the region,” he stressed.
According to Speaker Atef Al-Tarawna, the latest amendments are “a reformist accomplishment.” He added that they reflect the monarchy’s vision of separating elected governments from “sovereign institutions”, namely the security services and the Armed Forces.
Constitutional experts, however, described the amendments as “a coup against the constitution.” Military and strategic expert General Abdel-Hamid Emran said that the amendments aim to make King Abdullah immune to potential military coups. “Arab rulers, including the Jordanian monarch, are trying to hold on to power by promulgating their own laws,” he pointed out. The general noted that King Abdullah lacks any control over Jordan’s tribes, unlike his late father, who was thus able to maintain a firm grip on power.