Jordan: Reactions to a New Government
Following Jordan's November 9th Parliamentary elections, King Abdulla approved Prime Minister Samir Rifai's new government on Wednesday, November 24th. Twitter lit up with reactions, with many reacting positively to the appointments.
On behalf of the ICT [information and communications technology] industry and companies congratulations to @ICTMinJO H.E. Marwan on the appointment & best of luck and support#ICT #JO
Congratulations to HE PM @SamirAlRifai and HE @nasserjudehand HE @ICTMinJO and HE @WalidMaani . wish you all best of luck#JO #Cabinet
Congrats to Nesreen Barakat – new Minister of Public Sector Development. I feel positive knowing a brilliant mind like her is in govt. #Jo
Others, like Farrah Mufleh here, were not so positive:
new “mini”sters list.. looking like an apple and actually being an apple are 2 different things. #JO
Several questioned specific appointments, including the appointment of Sa'ad Hayel Al Srour as Minister of Interior, after he lost his bid for a seat in the Lower House of Parliament. Naseem Al Tarawnah quipped:
Srour lost in the #JOelections after spending amazing amounts, but thats ok, they made him Minister of Interiorhttp://is.gd/hKjOc #JO
How things go around #JO:A man fails in the #Parliamentary #Elections, so he's appointed #Minister. The #gov must believe in his potentials
She questioned another appointment, this one of a former Health Minister, Zeid Goussous, as the new Minister of Tourism and Antiquities:
OK I really can't help but ask @PrimeMinistry how in the world does a #HealthMinister become a #Ministerof #Tourism?!?!?!
Nadine Toukan posted several tweets protesting another change. The Ministry of Social Development had its name adjusted to the Ministry of Social Development and Women's Affairs. Said Toukan:
Min of Social Dev & Women Affairs is regressive place for women issues! How sad. #Jo @SamirAlRifai
Toukan linked to her blog, writing:
In an effort to place women's issues on the government agenda and confidently claim it, the recent cabinet change includes a tag to the Ministry of Social Development, evolving it to Social Development & Women's Affairs….A sorry regression. Feeds into the problem. Insults half the population directly and insults the other half indirectly. Grows dependency on a quota mentality, everywhere. Lends to further gender stereotyping…
How can anyone justify that the wide range of topics that women's affairs may encompass belong in a corner inside the Ministry of Social Development? Does this mean that men's affairs do not belong within this ministry? Or is the role of women shadowed within social development only? Are there no men's affairs we ought to be concerned about? What is the definition of women's affairs anyway? Are women's affairs not society's affairs?
…We need to rewire our entire system within every building, street, hallway, book and screen towards a healthy reality of gender cohesion. We cannot do so with sexist, gender biased banners and after thoughts that label half a population and concern the entire.
