Deputies on Wednesday failed to agree on one nominee to head the new government, putting more focus on the new premier’s agenda rather than the name.
Wednesday’s meeting of the largest parliamentary coalition, in which members were due to have scheduled internal elections to vote over the next prime minister, failed to settle differences of opinion between the parties.
The 82-MP “coalition of four” is made up of the Watan (25 MPs), the Islamic Centrist Party (15 MPs), the Democratic Gathering (24 MPs) and the Free Pledge (18 MPs) blocs.
According to several parliamentary sources, the coalition no longer exists as of Wednesday.
Watan and the Islamic Centrist Party blocs announced earlier this week that they support incumbent Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour to form the next government, but Interior Minister Awad Khleifat and President of Independent Elections Commission Abdul Ilah Khatib are also still in the race, despite their support base amongst the deputies being much narrower than Ensour’s.
According to parliamentary sources, an arrangement of “mutual understandings” occurred on Wednesday between the Democratic Gathering and the Free Pledge in place of the meeting of all 82 MPs.
Despite the lack of a unanimous decision within the Lower House over one candidate for the premiership, Ensour remains the strongest contender among the deputies.
As of Wednesday, the total number of MPs supporting him reached 68 out of the 149 Lower House members.
Watan, the largest in the Lower House, lost three of its members who withdrew in protest over naming Ensour.
Meanwhile, the New Approach bloc (8 MPs) on Wednesday announced it will support Khleifat to head the next government.
Khaled Neimat
http://jordantimes.com/82-deputy-coalition-dissolves-after-row-over-new-...
