AMMAN, Jordan: The leader of Jordan's largest Islamist opposition group is calling on people to topple the country's prime minister as 2,000 protesters took to the streets demanding he resign. Anger has been rising over a decision by Jordanian lawmakers to clear Prime Minister Marouf Al-Bakhit of involvement in a casino scandal during his previous 2005-2007 term. Muslim Brotherhood leader Hamam Saeed told nearly 500 people in a speech Friday that if Jordanians want “freedom,” they must “rise against their corrupt” prime minister. Jordan has been rocked by four months of street protests pressing for economic and political reforms and inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world. About 2,000 people demonstrated across Jordan Friday to demand also the dissolution of the “parliament of shame,” over a suspected corruption case involving a gambling casino. More than 1,000 Jordanians took part in a demonstration organised by the opposition in central Amman after midday prayers, also calling for the resignation of the government and the “downfall” of parliament. MPs Monday failed to impeach Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit for his alleged role in a suspected graft case about a multi-million-dollar deal that his government singed with a British-based company to build a casino, between 2005 and 2007 when he first served as premier. “The casino government should go. No to the casino parliament,” read one of the banners carried by the demonstrators.
