‘Cabinet to announce pardon decision Wednesday’

AMMAN — The Cabinet members on Monday discussed during their meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, a suggested general pardon draft law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

It was to refer the file to the Legal Committee to “examine all its aspects ahead of making a final decision about the issue on Wednesday”.

The government had pledged to give its final response to a request by lawmakers and citizens before October 1. 

MPs have submitted four memoranda to the Chamber’s Permanent Office urging the government to draft the amnesty bill.

During their deliberations on the Razzaz’s  government policy statement, several deputies made a similar petition.

Parliamentary sources have told The Jordan Times that the House wants a general pardon law pertaining to offences perpetrated against the public interest, which are mostly of an administrative nature, excluding murder and terrorism.

However, leaks have indicated that the government has no intention to waive fines and other financial dues on citizens, including traffic tickets.

In 2011, the Parliament passed a general pardon law following a dispute between the Lower House and the Senate on the former’s insistence on including premeditated murder crimes in the law, which was resolved in a joint session.

The Senate won the debate when a majority of lawmakers voted in favour of its amendments to exclude premeditated murder crimes from the law even if personal rights of plaintiffs were dropped.