The Community Media Network (CMN) submitted, Monday, a complaint to the National Center for Human Rights citing the absence of the rule of law by government officials.

The complaint, filed by Daoud Kuttab, the director general of CMN a not-for-profit company registered in the Ministry of Industry #359, stated that government officials violated clause 7 D of the 2019 regulation entitled “mechanism for approval of foreign funding.”

In the details, CMN notes that it won a tender announced by the German GIZ development agency to produce a JD 25K campaign raising awareness of recycling. CMN submitted online a completed application to the government for approval on June 12^th, 2022.

As per an agreement with GIZ, the contract was only signed after the elapse of 30 days due to the clause in the mechanism that states that if no negative answer is received within 30 days the project funding is considered approved. A contract with GIZ was signed on August 8^th and work began on the recycling awareness campaign.

Seventy-one days after the online submission and on August 23^rd an email was received by CMN from the committee for approvals of foreign funding saying that the project was rejected.

The reasons were vague. It stated that “some activities might be contrary to the organization’s goals and that some activities might require licensing.” CMN replied that the mandated time had elapsed and yet responded to the two stated reasons.

But even though the committee’s rejection was only a recommendation to the cabinet of Jordan which has the final say, a government committee staff person contacted GIZ about the rejected recommendation, GIZ requested that CMN withdraw from the tender, which CMN has refused, according to the complaint.

CMN was given a week by GIZ to resolve the problem of governmental approvals, the complaint noted.