Mock funerals for lack of reforms and security intervention

Political parties in Jordan carried out a symbolic mock funeral Amman – Osama Arrantissi Political parties in Jordan carried out a symbolic mock funeral procession for the country\'s reform process, carrying a casket on with the writing \"Mercy for the reform process\" as a reactionary statement to the election law that the government submitted to the House of Representatives last week.
The rallies held were also in commemoration of the April Uprising which occurs on April 15 of each year. The April Uprising is an incident which took place in 1989, when the Jordanian public protested against martial law. The uprising resulted in the fall of the government of the time.
The Higher Committee for the Coordination of Opposition Parties (made up of seven ) held a march that started in front of the al-Husseini Mosque of central Amman, then later made its way out to the Ras al-Ain area. The march was in protest of the electoral law, and also to support the demand for proportional representation and the national electoral list. Demostrators raised placards calling for the lifting of harsh security measures in place and to allow more public freedoms. They also demanded the immediate release of detainees in Tafila and the Fourth Circle.
The secretary-general of Arab Socialist Baath Party, Akram al-Homsi, who is also the opposition spokesperson, delivered a speech in which he said: \"We will continue our peaceful movement until all the reforms that our great people are calling for have been realised.” He said that the oppositin along with the Jordanian people firmly rejected the electoral law bill, which was drafted with a \"security-based mentality that does not believe in reform\".
Al-Homsi called for a parliamentary rejection of the law, which he described as not even answering the basic demands of reforms.
Al-Homsi stressed on the need to fight corruption and the return stolen money in the pockets of corrupt officials. He also strongly rejected the notion of foreign intervention in any of the state’s affairs.
For his part, the Comptroller General of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hammam Saeed confirmed that the Islamist movement had called for the release of the Tafila and Fourth Circle detainees. He demanded a full investigation into governmental corruption, saying \"there was no fear of unlawful detention in the era of the Arab Spring\".
Amid tight security presence there was also a countering anti-Islamist march in front of al-Husseini Mosque. Security personnel had to separate the two rallies.
Other marches also callied for the end of a policy that is perceived to sanction the corrupt sale of public properties. Protesters also demanded an end to state security interference in civil life.