Razzaz meets with pan-Arab, leftist parties

AMMAN — The coalition of pan-Arab and leftist parties on Monday met with Prime Minister-designate Omar Razzaz to discuss the government’s reform programme and the parties’ demands, a statement from the coalition said on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Razzaz presented his vision on the parliamentary government, institutionalising the national dialogue, maintaining dialogue with the political parties and all society segments, reviewing the tax system and recognising citizens’ right to peacefully express their demands. For their part, representatives of the parties stressed the need to ensure the accountability of the executive authority, monitoring it and following up on its pledged reform programme.

The statement listed a number of demands, among them commitment to withdrawing the income tax draft Law, cancelling the amendments of the Civil Services Law, revisiting the taxation system including the Sales and Income Tax Laws, as well as reconsidering the legislation related to the “exclusive and monopolistic” parliamentary Election Law, criminalising political detention and revising the “freedom-undermining” cybercrime law.