‘Compromise deal’ triggers heated debate under Dome

AMMAN — Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh had to adjourn Sunday's evening session for some time as he was unable to calm down angry MPs objecting to the “compromise” reached with the government over price hikes. 

The session was supposed to begin with the government presenting the 2016 draft budget law to lawmakers, but tension mounted following Tarawneh's announcement of the deal the House Permanent Bureau reached with Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour's government over increases to the gas cylinder’s price and car licensing fees.

Several angry MPs insisted that the finance minister be banned from presenting the general budget law as scheduled, requesting the podium instead to comment on the deal with the government.

Following a closed-door meeting with Tarawneh and other leading MPs, the government decided to keep the price of gas cylinders unchanged and revisited the hikes it imposed last week on vehicle licence fees.

Opponents described the deal as “part of Ensour’s government’s manoeuvring.”

Some lawmakers said that the Permanent Bureau does not represent the House, while others called for moving ahead with a motion of no confidence against the government.

Given the podium, Ensour said the decision to increase the price of gas cylinders and car licensing fees was part of the government’s efforts to address the energy dilemma, adding that donor countries and organisations, including the World Bank, are requesting that “we put our house in order”.

Although interrupted many times by angry MPs, Ensour continued saying that his government has never meant to burden the poor in Jordan, as claimed by lawmakers.

He added that the price of gas cylinders has gone down by 30 per cent since the beginning of the year, saying in reference to the monthly pricing mechanism: “We increase what goes up and we lower what goes down.”

However, several MPs called for “rational and calm handling of the issue”, with some reminding their colleagues that Ensour’s government has made “commendable” achievements.