US embassy cable - 05AMMAN8303

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 008303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KMPI, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN DEMOCRATIC REFORM STATUS REPORT: THIRD 
QUARTER 2005 
 
REF: A. STATE 152818 
 
     B. AMMAN 7979 
     C. AMMAN 4125 
     D. AMMAN 5232 
 
Classified By: CDA DANIEL RUBINSTEIN FOR REASONS 1.4 (b and d) 
 
1. (C) Summary.  Ref A contained the democracy strategy for 
Jordan, which identified freedom of the press, protection of 
women, and judicial reform as priorities.  Progress on each 
of these points is assessed below.  The "desired outcome" 
provided by ref A leads each section. 
 
-------------------- 
FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 
-------------------- 
 
2. (C) DESIRED OUTCOME: The GOJ should eliminate criminal 
penalties under the press law, cease to harass and detain 
journalists, and grant licenses to at least one private radio 
station and one TV station to broadcast on all subjects. 
 
3. (C) Press Laws: The recommendations of the royal 
commission for the National Agenda, led by Deputy Prime 
Minister Marwan Muasher (ref B), will include a measure on 
press and publications, and another on the right of 
journalists to access information.  These changes would 
require acts of Parliament.  In conversations with Post, 
Muasher recognized that liberalizing legislation was only a 
first step; of more importance will be implementing the 
reforms. 
 
4. (SBU) Radio Broadcast Licenses: No new stations were 
licensed during the quarter.  Any new station must receive a 
license from the Audio/Visual Commission (AVC), and then 
authorization from the Cabinet before transmitting.  All of 
the current FM stations broadcast entertainment/music and 
abstain from political reports.  A different (and more 
expensive) class of license must be obtained for news 
reporting.  The AVC is reviewing applications for small, 
university-based radio stations; one application is from 
Al-Hussein University in Ma'an in the south, supported by the 
British Council, and another is from Yarmouk University in 
Irbid in the north, supported by Western Kentucky University, 
State, and USAID.  UNESCO is also reportedly trying to 
acquire a license to broadcast in Madaba, southwest of Amman. 
 
5. (C) TV Broadcast Licenses: No new stations were licensed 
during the quarter, and none of the previously approved 
stations have begun broadcasting yet.  The terrestrial 
station belonging to the owner of Al-Ghad newspaper, a 
centrist Arabic daily, will begin broadcasting in March 2006, 
according to the AVC.  Two current private TV stations 
include a business channel and a real-estate channel.  Post 
is looking into reports that a second applicant for a new TV 
license has faced difficulties with the security services. 
Seven functioning satellite TV stations continue to operate 
in Jordan's Free Media Zone (FMZ).  Several of the stations 
operating out of the FMZ are facing legal problems over 
copyright infringement issues, not freedom of the press 
issues. 
 
6. (SBU) Press Association: In September, the National Agenda 
commission recommended the repeal of laws that require 
journalists to join the Jordan Press Association (JPA).  The 
GOJ believes that allowing journalists to opt out of JPA 
membership will free them from the political agenda of the 
association's leadership, who oppose most of the government's 
reform agenda as well as normalization with Israel.  This 
will be reported in detail SEPTEL. 
 
7. (SBU) Technical Assistance: USAID is due to award a new 
technical assistance contract in November 2005 to support 
free and independent media in Jordan.  The contract program 
will improve university journalism curricula, strengthen the 
skills of practicing journalists, assist in liberalizing 
legislation, and improve the business development skills of 
mass media.  The overall goal is to professionalize and 
de-politicize the media.  DRL and ECA also support programs 
in this area, and MEPI has a regional media support program 
that includes Jordan. 
 
------------------- 
PROTECTION OF WOMEN 
------------------- 
 
8. (C) DESIRED OUTCOME: The GOJ should support the 
enforcement of legal codes protecting women and civil society 
organizations should report a 25 percent increase in the 
number of honor crimes prosecuted over the next year. 
 
9. (U) Honor crimes that are reported are prosecuted.  The 
concerns of women's and human rights activists are focused on 
the fact that sentences handed down to perpetrators of these 
killings are often very short, thanks to a loophole provide 
by Article 98 of the Jordanian penal code.  The chief 
prosecutor of the criminal court system appeals all sentences 
that are shorter than those recommended by his prosecutors. 
In the third quarter, the chief prosecutor appealed at least 
one short sentence; a ruling on the appeal is still pending. 
The Family Protection unit of the Public Security Directorate 
is increasing public awareness of domestic violence and is 
offering greater services to its victims, including 
counseling for families and victims, and monitoring of 
families in high-risk situations (ref D). 
 
10. (U) A women's shelter designed to house and help 
potential victims of honor crimes live independently still 
has not opened.  According to NGO and GOJ sources, the 
construction of the shelter is complete, but administrative 
questions linger.  The shelter is part of the GOJ's Family 
Protection Project, under the patronage of Queen Rania. 
 
11. (U) Freedom House is undertaking an awareness campaign, 
sponsored by MEPI, to increase awareness of violence against 
women, including conducting rural workshops and holding 
public performances of an interactive play on this subject. 
 
--------------- 
JUDICIAL REFORM 
--------------- 
 
12. (C) DESIRED OUTCOME: The GOJ should adopt and implement 
the new judicial code of conduct. 
 
13. (U) There are two USAID-sponsored judicial reform 
programs in Jordan. The first, a $3.5 million project 
implemented by the American Bar Association (ABA), aims to 
strengthen judicial independence and integrity, reduce demand 
on courts through alternative dispute resolution (ADR), 
upgrading legal education, and enhancing the legal 
profession.  A working group met in August to finalize its 
report on recommendations to improve judicial accountability 
and ethics.  A Court Employee Ethics Committee is among the 
accomplishments of the program, as well as a survey on ADR, a 
legal education conference, and soon, the ABA will be 
supporting a MEPI sponsored G8 Forum for the Future 
Conference in Amman on civil society organizations and the 
rule of law.  The project began in May 2004 and is scheduled 
to conclude in July 2007 
 
14. (SBU) USAID's Improved Rule of Law Program, being 
implemented by DPK Consulting, is a $7.8 million project 
running from August 2004 through July 2007.  It is working to 
enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), 
re-design an internal/supply-oriented court system, 
strengthen the inspection and monitoring capacity, and 
improve civil society, small grants and media.  The Program 
recently awarded a sub-contract to a local firm in order to 
document court processes and procedures, and to standardize 
the forms used by the MOJ and courts.  Other recent 
activities include assisting the MOJ to implement its reform 
strategy, empowering women judges, and establishing baseline 
date through surveys of judges, lawyers, litigants, court 
users, and the public.  Based on the results of the surveys, 
the MOJ will be examining two areas of concern: pressure 
exerted on judges, and discrimination in the courts. 
 
15. (SBU) The Rule of Law Program authored a report on 
judicial independence and developed a strategic planning 
document during the quarter titled "Advancing the 
Independence of the Jordanian Judiciary".  A technical team 
meeting was held in August to discuss progress made on the 
automation of Amman's First Instance Court, the Notary Public 
Department, and the Court of Appeal. 
RUBINSTEIN