‘Northern movement’ takes shape as Friday demos continue

Pro-reform protests are planned across the country on Friday as a new coalition of northern activists takes shape, according to activists. Street protests are slated for Jerash, Irbid, Ajloun and Mafraq as part of an emerging northern movement - a coalition united by calls for political reform and common challenges facing the northern governorates such as a lack of development and basic services, particularly in the water sector. The four governorates receive the lowest cubic metre per capita and suffer the highest water-loss rates in the Kingdom. As part of the northern movement’s activities, activists in Jerash are set to hold a rally at the municipality to call for political reform and highlight citizens’ economic demands. “We have not seen the economic benefits from the Jerash festival or from tourism, and we need to hold the government accountable,” said Mawayed Rawadreh, Jerash Popular Youth Movement spokesman. He noted northern activists have been united by frustration over poor basic infrastructure such as water and electricity networks that have led to blackouts and brownouts. “Before, we were working on our own? Now we in the north are speaking in one voice,” Rawadreh said. In downtown Irbid, youth protesters are set to hold a sit-in to protest against the privatisation programme and highlight what they believe is corruption “at the highest levels”. “We receive millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia and America and we can’t find work or educate our children,” said Adham Gharaibeh of the Irbid Popular Movement. “We want to ask the decision-makers: where is all the money going?” In Mafraq, activists plan to take to the streets over suspected corruption at the governorate level and to express their rejection of the nuclear programme, which entails the construction of a reactor near the northern city, according to Tareq Awaydat of the Mafraq Popular Youth Movement. “We in Mafraq can no longer keep silent over corruption, and we won’t keep quiet over the nuclear programme,” he said. Despite the new-found camaraderie in the north, the protests are part of a greater national drive for reform rather than a new form of “regionalism”, according to activists. “We are happy when we see citizens in Tafileh living well and vice-versa,” Gharaibeh said. “This is no longer a regional movement or a tribal movement. This is a national movement for change and decision makers better take notice,” he added. Meanwhile, protests are slated for major urban centres across the southern region as the so-called southern movement continues its push for political reform. According to Saeed Ouran of the Free Tafileh Movement, activists will take to the streets in cooperation with professional associations and opposition parties to call for constitutional reforms leading towards an elected government. “From what we have learned so far, it seems that decision makers are not serious about constitutional reforms,” Oran said, indicating that alleged leaks from the panel entrusted with reviewing the Constitution have “not been promising”. “If we do not see reforms leading to an elected government soon, then we don’t want reform at all.” Demonstrations are slated for Karak, Tafileh, Maan as well as the town of Theeban, where pro-reform protests were first launched some six months ago.