AMMAN — Ahmad Sami, 28, watched as cars passed by his makeshift tent, which he set up to sell watermelons. Mr. Sami’s business opens early and closes late and so, he said, he did not hear about the recommendations announced Saturday on reforming politics in Jordan, including laws on elections and parties.

The recommendations, produced by a National Dialogue Committee and submitted to Prime Minister Marouf Al Bakhit, propose an increase in the number of seats in Parliament from 120 to 130. They also call for an independent panel of retired judges appointed by royal decree to oversee elections, instead of the Interior Ministry.

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AMMAN — With unrest continuing in Syria, violence between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and repression elsewhere in the region, Jordan is trying to walk a narrow path of managed reform. The balancing act is not easy.In the past week, a group made up mostly of members of professional associations and young people, calling itself the April 15 Movement, announced that it planned to hold rallies in southern Jordan on Friday to press for reforms.

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