Amman, special envoy - "We ask the Jordanians to stay calm and to respect public property. We do not want chaos or violence of any kind, but we demand political and economic reforms under the leadership of King Abdullah II. " This call to law enforcement in respect of the stability of the Hashemite regime could be launched by Prime Minister Samir Rifai, but Hamza Mansour, secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political wing Muslim Brotherhood and the main opposition party, who is the author.In an interview with Le Monde, Mr. Mansour but wanted the popular protest movement started last ten days in the kingdom gets bigger. If he is sure there will be a "contagion of revolution in Tunisia all countries experiencing catastrophic situation, such as Algeria," it does not rank Jordan in that category.
"We have many more Freedom of expression [in Tunisia], the system does not interfere with our liberties, "he insists. References to Tunisia were yet many at the event which took place on Sunday 16 January, before the National Assembly. But if the slogans, banners and speeches calling for the resignation of Mr.
Rifai, became the scapegoat of popular anger against rising prices, no one was the king's person. During half past two, amid the red and green flags (the ISP and Communist Front), some 1,500 demonstrators denounced both the increase in inflation (6% in 2010), poverty and corruption and lack of political reforms.
But as the demonstrations were held Friday in cities across the country were based on a deep popular discontent, as the mobilization of the Muslim Brotherhood has caused mistrust of Jordanian Trade Unions. Mohammed Barakat, an influential member of the powerful engineers' union, rejects "any political exploitation by the Islamic Front, which has a different agenda.
I do not want Jordan turns into another Gaza," he says. King Abdullah II plays such divisions as he plays the ethnic and cultural mosaic of his country, between North and South, and especially between "Transjordan" ethnic and Jordanians of Palestinian origin. It is for this reason that the contagion of revolution Tunisia is not about to spread throughout the kingdom.
"Everyone speaks with admiration of what happened in Tunisia, Queen Rania is compared to the wife of former president Ben Ali, corruption is probably as great here, but there's a big difference: Jordan is not a police state, "says Al-Fahed Khitan. The great tabloid columnist Al-Arab Al-Yawm, he does not "explosion" because "85% of the population have incomes below 400dinars month, some staples have risen by 15% in six months, "especially as fuel have risen 36% in one year.
"The only way to defuse the situation, ensuring he is to resign Samir Rifai. Anyway, the king has always used his prime minister as a fuse." For eight days, the regime has trimmed, giving up some of the increases on fuel, relief various social consent, even widening the budget deficit. Will this be enough there? "The Jordanians do not criticize the sovereign seeking his overthrow: they denounce the clique around him," says Al-Fahed Khitan.
Marwan Shehadeh, an analyst who describes himself as an "Islamic activist" does not share this optimism: "The people, he says, has never been used to criticize the regime, because the latter through donations and grants, is always intervened to save the situation. "" If AbdallahII change of prime minister because of pressure from the street, he warns, the next time he will be in the spotlight! " The risk is that the revolution for the Tunisian Jordanians enjoy unfettered freedom to express their discontent.
Laurent Zecchini Article published in the edition of 19.01.11
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