Fistfight in Jordan's Lower House: MPs Prefer to Punch Than Debate

ALBAWABA - A parliamentary war zone. This is exactly how the many videos on the social media showed the state of the Jordan Lower House, Tuesday.

The session begun with MPs discussing the constitutional amendments to be discussed and eventually voted on. However, it quickly degenerated into fist-fights between the Members of Parliament despite attempts to cool down tempers and reconcile.

But it took a turn for the worse. Lower House Speaker Abdel Karim Al Doughmi, a long-time parliamentarian had been unable to lower the tempo of the debate which turned into a verbal slinging match that quickly into physical violence with many punches being swung and thrown in different directions.

It was unbelievable. In all of its parliamentary years since 1989 the Jordan Lower House had never been in such a state of mayhem, chaos and violence as it is experiencing today. The level of debate, the parliamentary etiquette, the normative address between MPS and between deputies and government ministers has slowly deteriorated  into a never-ending brawl that will not stop.

The numerous video clips posted on the social media are horrendous: Grown-up men in suits in a punch-up and fighting each other. It was like not one boxing match but several going on at the same time with umpires being other MPs trying to separate the fighters from those that were literally being beaten up.

It was like watching a movie - no this is a better than a film - live action without rehearsals of politicians fighting each other on parliamentary seats and tables with visitors from above the chamber watching the fights. The fear was in this moment of anger, the other women MPs, who were in the adjacent seats would get some of the punches, slaps and kicks.

Unbelievable as well, were gown men were being slapped and hit on the head and the face.

From the videos it was difficult to know what is going on but certainly watch and ponder with great interest at the best of political debate. What is this, one is likely to wounder. But it is certainly not a pretty sight.

Many on the social media expressed dismay and abhorrence at what they saw with one about to kick himself for electing such people to represent him. Involved in the fracas were MPs like  Freij Sulieman Abu Yehya, Hassan Al Rabaddi, Andre Al Howari and others like Ahmad Al Sarahaneh and Abdul Rahman Al Awisha.