AMMAN – Jordan is expected to remove restrictions on public gatherings, allowing protests to take place without prior permission as part of political reforms, a minister said in remarks published on Tuesday. Interior Minister Saad Hayel Srur asked the cabinet on Monday to amend the public assembly law and scrap an article that requires in-advance government permission to hold rallies and protests, the state-run Petra news agency said.
“Instead, organisers of such activities have to inform the authorities 48 hours in advance,” Srur was quoted as saying. “The council of minister is expected to endorse the recommendation and send it to parliament for approval. International and local human rights activists as well as the powerful Islamist opposition have repeatedly called for amending the public assembly law.
“It’s a good step to help enhance political reforms in Jordan,” prominent member of parliament Khalil Atiyeh told AFP.
