(MENAFN- Alghad Newspaper)
It seems the Prime Minister is in a hole; the government's popularity is dipping dramatically, according to the opinion survey by the Strategic Studies Centre, and the public is frustrated by the harsh economic conditions they have to endure, especially in the aftermath of price hikes, tax increases, and fees, on a countless array of commodity.
To make things even worse; the Karak protests burst Saturday amid calls in other governorates for citizens to join in and take to the streets!
Clearly, the government is not in an enviable situation.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet's relationship with the House of Representatives is deteriorating, and tension between Premier Dr Hani Mulqi and MPs is rising.
In the midst of this unravelling, enormous efforts are being put to save the Premier, his government, and the bundle of achievements made recently before the House.
Technically, the main reason behind this public outburst, more or less, is the simple fact that the people are unpleased by the procedures Mulqi and his government set up to meet the requirements of the financial arrangement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was signed by the previous government.
Legally speaking, the IMF agreement is a trans-governmental agreement, and is not a fault of the current Cabinet!
However, no matter how hard the power halls here fight for Mulqi, nothing doable, on their part, could guarantee Mulqi or his government a full 4-year term in office, in accordance to the 4x4 government-MP dynamic.
After all, there is a threshold to the bearing capacities of the public; naturally.
Soon, if the public opinion keeps dropping, or should the calls to protest find echo in the populace Kingdom-wide, the situation will spiral out of control for the government, and the line would have been irreversibly crossed!
Can the Premier Be Saved? And if so, how? I think the only person qualified to answer this question is the Prime Minister himself!
The State can serve, protect, and platform authority. But what if the government and its political devices are sleeping through the earthquake?
The cost of their nap will be bigger than the State's capacity to bear, and soon enough, the preservation of the government in office will turn into a heavy burden for the State, especially under the current most embarrassing circumstance, as we are about to host the Arab Summit in Amman next month, which is as confusing as it is a nuisance for the state, should the relative unrest continue!
It is obvious. Times over, the issue of the government's political engagement with the populace was raised on countless occasions; there is just not enough of it!
The only time the Premier ever spoke directly about raising prices was during the '60 Minutes show. And naturally, this is neither sufficient nor convincing to the public.
On the other hand, ministers and members of the political and economic have clearly detached themselves of the situation, hanging the Premier out to dry over what is in fact a ‘shared' Cabinet responsibility.
In the meantime, the weaker the government appears to be, the fiercer the opposition gets!
So far, the Premier has taken a terrible beating. And he has taken it all, alone!
The public is about to explode, and if the political crews do nothing take action —now— to reengage society, the outcomes of their negligence would be an irreversible defeat for the government!
Pressingly, it is crucial that the public perception of the Premier and his Cabinet, as a group of apathetic collectors, is altered, and that the Prime Minister shows understanding and empathy for the sufferings of a vast segment of society. People must know that the government is not absent.
Dr Mulqi must convey to the public that he knows exactly what his people are going through; that he knows, for a fact, their suffering, and that the people have had it up to their teeth with expenses, and that have already paid too much of a price. They need to know that he understands that the toils of their lives have become nearly unbearable.
Moreover, Mulqi must reassure them that no further price hikes are underway, and that they will surely receive in return for what they have given.
The government must have a measurable, attainable promise for the public.
Now, the Premier has now to reintroduce himself to the public; as late as that may be, and it is of the utmost vitality that a government political vision be reconstructed on the basis of a strategic poli-economic catalyst, which could platform the government's engagement with the populace and bring odds to meet.
So far, there are a few promising highlights which could weave into a communicable vehicle of poli-economic advancement and reform, including the declaration of war again administrative corruption and cleansing the state of bribery and nepotism, as well as the development of education and enhancement of public services.
Primarily, these comprise the foundation of the government and its agenda. Someone best wake the rest of the Cabinet up before it's too late!
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic version, published by AlGhad.
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