By Daoud Kuttab

following appeared in the Jordan Times, Dec 19, 2012

Abdel Bari Atwan is well-known to Arab audiences. The editor of the London-based Al Quds Al Arabi is known for his fiery patriotic and anti-Western interviews on major satellite televisions. A major supporter of the Arab revolutions, Atwan lived up to his no-nonsense reputation when he appeared this week on Jordan’s independent station Roya TV. However, something strange happened when the discussion came to the issue of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation.

The Gaza-born Palestinian, now a UK citizen, was mellow and supportive of the idea on condition that it takes place after Palestinian independence, and not on the basis of the UN declaration of Palestinian statehood. Continue Reading »

By Daoud Kuttab

King Abdullah’s wishes that Jordan will have three political parties (right center and left) will most certainly be dashed once he hears from the registration results independent election’s commission.  Sixty one parties and lists featuring 824 candidates (among them only 88 women) will be competing for mere 27 national seats in the 150 seat expanded 17the parliament while 698 candidates (among them 196 women) will compete for the remaining 123 local seats.

While it will take years to reach the King’s ideal of three major parties, the closed lists have introduced a system where politicians (and tribal leaders) albeit not so successful to create alliances and coalitions that can bring in the large numbers needed to win nation-wide seats. Continue Reading »