Jordan Times
Friday, May 20, 2005
Dissolving Parliament out of question, King tells Al Hayat
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday said dissolving Parliament was “out of the question” and would not solve the present crisis between deputies and the government.
Interviewed by the London-based Al Hayat daily,
King Abdullah was referring to a petition signed by 48 MPs, objecting to the
government's formation, particularly its economic team, and threatening to
withhold confidence.
“I respect the position of the House and value the wisdom and stand of the prime
minister [Adnan Badran],” the King told Editor-in-Chief Ghassan Sharbel.
“The government and Parliament should deal with any problem through dialogue and
democratic means. Our democracy absorbs all opinions.”
In their petition, the deputies said the composition of the Cabinet excluded any
representation from the southern regions and included members who created
“heightened tension” between Parliament and the government and were “not up to
the responsibility.”
The Monarch yesterday said a rational evaluation of the government should be
based on its programmes and not its members.
He added that although he realised that the regions that were not represented in
the government's composition were full of capable and experienced individuals,
he does not subscribe to quotaism — prescribed representation.
King Abdullah told Sharbel that several factors led to the change of government
in April.
“But the most important reason was to speed up and institutionalise reform. I
felt that reform and modernisation plans were moving slowly,” he explained.
Reiterating that Jordan seeks speedy political and socio-economic reforms, the
King said the National Agenda is expected to face such challenges.
The National Agenda, to be revealed in September, was formed by a Royal Decree
and mandated to set guidelines for the country's advancement in all social,
economic and political arenas for the next decade.
Zarqawi
King Abdullah, meanwhile, said the former Iraqi regime refused to turn over
wanted terrorist Abu Mussab Zarqawi, the most-wanted man in the neighbouring
country.
“From the time Zarqawi entered Iraq, before the fall of the former regime, we
made great efforts to bring him back and try him here, but our requests to the
former regime were in vain,” he said.
The King said Jordan had intelligence on Zarqawi entering Iraq from a
“neighbouring country,” and knew where he was and what he was doing.
“We provided the Iraqi authorities then with the precise intelligence we had,
but they did not respond.”
Zarqawi, who has a $25 million US bounty on his head in connection with a wave
of deadly attacks, kidnappings and murders in Iraq, is also wanted in Jordan,
where he was convicted in absentia for the murder of a USAID official and for
plotting a large-scale attack against government facilities.
`Chalabi issue'
The Monarch said the government is examining the legal and financial aspects of
the case of Iraqi Deputy Premier Ahmed Chalabi, who was sentenced to 22 years in
prison by the State Security Court in 1992 on charges of fraud.
King Abdullah said Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, who visited Jordan earlier
this month, asked him to “find a suitable solution for both sides.”
Badran on Wednesday said the issue was still under discussion and that Jordan
wants to maintain the distinguished ties it has with Iraq.
Minister of Culture and Government Spokesperson Asma Khader said any decision to
be taken “will be made in line with the legal framework and the Kingdom's
national interests,” she said.
Badr Brigades
On the Palestinian situation, the King said Jordan has trained a 1,000-strong
Palestinian security force, the Badr Brigades, to be deployed in West Bank
cities and towns after Israel's withdrawal to ensure law and order — one of
President Mahmoud Abbas' key presidential campaign pledges.
“We made great efforts with the Israeli government to deploy the force in the
Palestinian territories, but the Israeli government refused,” King Abdullah
said.
Jordan and the Palestinian Authority were still trying to ensure the force's
deployment.
Israel claims that by allowing the brigades entry to the West Bank, it would be
paramount to allowing a Palestinian right of return.
`Serious oil problem'
Asked about Jordan's alternatives after Arab states halted their oil grants to
the Kingdom, the Monarch said the country faces “a real problem,” particularly
after the increase in crude oil prices.
“The government is currently studying alternatives to deal with the crisis, and
we still hope that Arab oil supplies would continue,” he said.