Jordanians rally against corruption and poverty

[Guest guest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110129/wl_nm/us_jordan_protest

Jordanians rally against corruption and poverty

By Suleiman al-Khalidi Suleiman Al-khalidi – Sat Jan 29, 2:16 pm ET

AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordanian activists rallied outside government offices

Saturday as they tried to step up their campaign to force Prime Minister Samir

Rifai to step down.

Inspired by unrest in Tunisia and elsewhere in the region, about 200 Jordanians

gathered outside the prime minister's office shouting " Our government is a bunch

of thieves " and holding banners reading " No to poverty or hunger. "

" We've come from distant, rural areas to Amman to ask Rifai to leave, " said

Mohammed Sunaid, a prominent labor activist.

" We call for the overthrow of this government that has destroyed the poor. This

government should be for all Jordanians not just the rich. "

Jordan is struggling with its worst economic downturn in decades. The government

has announced measures to cut prices of essentials, create jobs and raise

salaries of civil servants.

Protesters say the moves do not go far enough and have staged rallies calling

for the reversal of free-market reforms which many blame for a widening gap

between rich and poor.

Protesters say the sale of state assets to foreign investors over the past

decade has enriched the country's business and political elite but has done

little to help the poor.

" We want a special court that will put on trial all those who sold the property

of the Jordanian people ..., " Sunaid said.

Others have called for constitutional reforms to curb the extensive power of the

king who appoints cabinets, approves legislation and can dissolve parliament.

" We hope that citizens will be able to chose the government that represents them

...., " said Ali Dalain, an activist and former deputy from the southern city of

Karak.

Unlike Tunis or Egypt, the Jordanian state has long focused its economic drive

and budget money on developing rural areas.

But discontent has grown nonetheless as the economic downturn weakened the

state's ability to create jobs in the public sector which has traditionally

absorbed poor tribesmen in rural areas.

(Writing by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Golovnina)

[Guest guest]

This is a problem of people looking to the government, or the strong man, for favors. They don't have the economic knowledge to understand that public sector jobs drain money from the economy. What they should be protesting for is more free enterprise. I'm sure if regulations and other hindrances were withdrawn and incentives put in their place that rural reform would happen.

It is a shame to see more of this unrest spreading and so fast. It is almost like this was planned and is being fanned by forces in the shadows.

In a message dated 1/30/2011 12:24:12 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

But discontent has grown nonetheless as the economic downturn weakened the state's ability to create jobs in the public sector which has traditionally absorbed poor tribesmen in rural areas.