19 August 2011 - 19:30

Hundreds of people have held protest rallies in two Jordanian cities, demanding dissolution of the parliament and Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit's government.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Protesters in the Jordanian cities of Karkak and Tafileh, 120 km and 180 km south of the capital Amman, also dismissed constitutional amendments proposed by a Royal committee last week as "inadequate".

The demonstrators said in a Friday statement that the amendments "fall short of the people's aspirations."

They noted that the amendments should "prove the seriousness of the decision-makers about their intention of making reforms."

The protests came as Jordan's King Abdullah II last week described the proposed changes in the constitution as "historic."

Protesters also shouted anti-parliament slogans, accusing many lawmakers of defusing pro-reform demonstrators through mob elements and "protecting the corrupt."

King Abdullah II agreed on Sunday to changes in the nearly 60-year-old constitution of the country amid escalating protests that demand real political reforms and an end to government corruption.

The critics have censured the reforms as not sufficient, stressing that the amendments still allow king Abdullah to maintain most of his absolute powers. They also emphasize that the introduction of constitutional changes is intended to avert growing popular protests against the regime's dictatorial rule.

In April, the king of Jordan appointed a panel to introduce amendments to the kingdom's 1952 constitution. The panel submitted its proposals to king Abdullah on Sunday.

Jordan's constitution has been widely criticized for marginalizing the parliament and limiting its powers.

The amendments are slated to pave the way for choosing a premier from a parliamentary majority rather than hand-picked by the autocratic monarch.

It will also prepare the ground for the creation of institutions that guarantee that the state respects the constitution and lives up to its principles.

The proposed amendments are expected to be approved by mid-September.

Protest rallies have been staged across Jordan for the past seven months in efforts to push the government to expand powers of the parliament. Jordanians have also been demanding lower food prices, a greater participation in politics, and the election of a prime minister.

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