Gender equality debate leads to brawl in Jordan parliament

AMMAN, Jordan — A live-streamed televised debate in Jordan’s parliament on constitutional reforms including gender equality degenerated into scuffles between MPs on Tuesday, forcing the session to be adjourned.

A heated row — amid much pushing and finger-wagging — broke out between deputies and parliament speaker Abdelkarim al-Daghmi.

The argument erupted during a debate on an amendment adding the female noun for a Jordanian citizen, to a chapter in the constitution guaranteeing equal rights of all citizens.

Several MPs angrily disputed the amendment as “useless”, in the session broadcast on Al-Mamlaka television channel.

Daghmi walked out and the session was adjourned to Wednesday.

Among other constitutional reforms to be discussed are the creation of a “National Security Council”, and the halving of the house speaker’s mandate to one year from the current two-year terms.

Several deputies traded punches in a brawl in Jordan's parliament after a verbal row escalated when the assembly speaker called on a deputy to leave, witnesses said https://t.co/4WVq2L1Div pic.twitter.com/RqA04SZHeY

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The kingdom’s constitution, introduced in 1952, has been amended 29 times, with the monarch’s powers increasing at the expense of the legislature, according to experts.