Jordan times
Thursday, January 28, 1999
Regent pledges to follow in King's footsteps
AMMAN (Petra) — In reply to His Majesty King Hussein's letter to His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abdullah, the Regent, the Prince on Wednesday reassured the King that he will follow in his footsteps to help the Jordanian people fulfil their national aspirations and pursue efforts towards strengthening national unity and achieving prosperity for all.
"I have received with great pride your message in which Your Majesty passed to me your directives after you had entrusted me with the post of Crown Prince of Jordan and granted me your confidence, which is the dearest thing in my life and which I consider as one of your numerous good deeds to your Hashemite family and to the nation which you have built and for whose prosperity you have been struggling with great efforts and with great wisdom and courage," said the Crown Prince on Wednesday in his letter to King Hussein.
Referring to the King's endeavours on various fronts to achieve peace and stability, Prince Abdullah said: "You have been leading your people's march, defying all difficulties and challenges which have faced the region over the past decades and succeeded in achieving great national feats that have allowed this country to enjoy the respect of the entire world by leading the Kingdom towards comprehensive development and consolidating internal stability and laying the foundations of peace in this region, whose nations have suffered dearly from wars and conflicts."
"You have opened the way for the democratic process by laying down its principles in which you believe and which embody the spirit of freedom and respect for human rights," said the Crown Prince, who was sworn in as Regent on Tuesday prior to the King's return to the U.S. for further medical attention.
Stressing that he will benefit from the King's teachings, Prince Abdullah said: "I had the honour to learn from you and to benefit from your wide expertise and leadership, and I will follow in your footsteps drawing on your great Hashemite principles, your tolerance and noble character on which we have been raised. I have learnt from you that the one great family of Jordanians of different origins constitutes our clan and they are the companions of King Hussein, and the descendants of great vanguards, the companions of Al Hussein Ben Ali and the late King Abdullah, the founder of the Kingdom. You have been a leader, teacher, father, brother and friend to everyone, consecrating every moment of your life to serving the Jordanian people, protecting their rights and dignity and achieving their aspirations."
Referring to the Hashemite Royal Family, the Regent said: "My lord, I am but one member of this family, and they are my family and the source of my pride. I will act in a manner that will ensure the continued primacy of the spirit of affection, altruism and selflessness in this family. The great Hashemite principles will serve as the foundation on which relations between us will be based, and I will place the higher national interests above all other considerations, regarding them as the most sublime objectives."
Pledging to fulfil the King's expectations, the Regent said, "I am but one of your faithful soldiers, and as you have endowed me with your confidence I pledge to work with all my power and in line with the directives contained in your message to me to pursue the march of good deeds to serve the nation and the Jordanian people, to help them achieve their aspirations of development, progress, and a dignified and secure life, and to safeguard national unity and the domestic front."
The Regent wished the King good health and prayed that God will bless him with his grace.
Before departing Jordan on Tuesday to return to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, King Hussein sent a letter to Crown Prince Abdullah in which he reaffirmed his confidence in him and his ability to shoulder his responsibilities with loyalty, altruism and self-denial, expressing full support for him.
In his message the King said: "I send you true Arab Hashemite greetings, love and confidence. I take pride in you as a Hashemite knight and a soldier of the nation and Crown Prince."
"I have entrusted you with the post of Crown Prince fully confident that you will shoulder the responsibility. As my son I have known you to love the homeland and to feel totally attached to it and exerting all efforts to serve it with selflessness and avoiding ostentation and pretence, acting with a strong will, seeking objectivity, and acting in line with Hashemite principles and in a manner to please God and gain the affection of people through modesty and demonstrated concern to serve them with justice and equality, placing the interests of the nation above all other considerations," the King said.
King Hussein added: "You know that Jordan has inherited the principles of the Great Arab Revolt and its great mission, and that the Kingdom is an integral part of the Arab Nation and that the Jordanian people will continue to be at the forefront defending the nation and supporting its causes. You also realise that this great nation has over the past decades offered sacrifices in the course of defending these principles and noble values. You also realise that the people of Jordan, of various roots and origins, have never shirked their duty and never disappointed their leadership and their nation as they have always been loyal to their nation and capable and ready to confront difficulties and challenges. The Jordanian people have the right to expect from their leadership to work for their present and future and to achieve for them a dignified life and the protection of their rights as provided for in the Constitution."
"I am confident that you will continue to act as one of the Hashemite family, respecting them and loving each member, seeking with all your power to unite them and spread affection among them and to consult with them and ensure that everyone's rights are safeguarded," the King added.