Protesters in Jordan Demand Resignation of Prime Minister

Following unsuccessful talks between the Jordanian government and labor unions regarding new economic policies, thousands of angry protesters took to the streets in Amman and several other cities on Saturday evening, June 1. The demonstrations against tax increases began last Wednesday at the call of labor unions, but according to AFP, it was expected that the protests would diminish after discussions between the two sides on Saturday. However, after negotiations between the government and labor union representatives failed, and shortly after a meeting between the King of Jordan and senior officials, angry demonstrators once again took to the streets in Amman and other cities. According to AFP, despite heavy security measures and a large presence of officers, the number of protesters near the office of Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki reached about three thousand. AFP also reported that security forces in another area of Amman used tear gas to prevent protesters from joining the crowd in front of the Prime Minister's office. The demonstrators chanted slogans against the Prime Minister and the International Monetary Fund, including "We will not kneel," "The cause of inflation intends to destroy the country," and "Jordan is our country, Mulki must go." The "income tax increase" and "fuel price hikes" are among the issues that Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki's government presented to Parliament last month, which has not yet been approved by Jordanian lawmakers. According to the provisions of this bill, which is supported by the International Monetary Fund, individual income tax will increase by at least five percent and corporate tax will rise between 20 to 40 percent. King Abdullah II of Jordan called on the country's parliament on Saturday to arrange for a "national, comprehensive, and rational dialogue" and to consider that "it is unfair for only citizens to bear the burden of economic reforms." The majority of members of the Jordanian House of Representatives (78 out of 130) have opposed the tax increase bill. Jordan must implement economic reforms to receive a $723 million credit line from the International Monetary Fund, and the tax increase bill is the latest of these reforms. Unemployment in Jordan is high, and over the past five months, the prices of goods in the country have increased several times. During this period, fuel prices have risen five times, and electricity prices have also increased by 55 percent. Jordan, which is considered a key ally of the United States in the region, managed to avoid widespread protests during the Arab Spring in 2011, but since the end of that year when fuel subsidies were cut, sporadic protests have occurred in the country.