Jordan Times
Thursday, June 23, 2005
King concludes meetings
with Lower House MPs
New housing plan to be announced
AMMAN (JT) — A new plan designed to provide housing units for citizens with
limited income at reasonable prices will be announced soon, His Majesty King
Abdullah said on Wednesday.
The King told Lower House of Parliament members during a meeting at the Royal
Court that he had issued directives to the government to study the issue
thoroughly.
Official figures show that the real estate sector is witnessing a boom coupled
with rising prices, which are seen as crippling for low-income brackets.
In the first quarter of the current year, Jordanians and other nationalities,
particularly Iraqis, bought 4,118 apartments and houses, a 55.5 per cent rise
compared to the same period last year, according to statistics released by the
Department of Lands and Survey.
The plan will be announced within a month or two after the government finalises
it, the King told independent and National Bloc deputies.
Concluding a series of meetings with Lower House members that extended over a
period of one week, the King called for preparing a clear strategy providing for
cooperation and coordination between the government and the Lower House as well
as officials from the National Agenda and regional committees.
The past weeks witnessed an impasse between the government and a group of
deputies over the Cabinet's formation, with some MPs threatening to withhold
their vote of confidence in Prime Minister Adnan Badran's government. A total of
48 MPs signed a statement criticising the makeup of the government, pointing in
particular to the absence of ministers from certain districts of the Kingdom.
At meetings this week with parliamentarians and representatives of public
organisations, the King said there was lack of coordination between the
government and these establishments.
He said the government and officials on Royal committees drafting the National
Agenda and a new map of administrative divisions have the duty of outlining and
explaining their programmes and plans to the public to avoid misinterpretation.
His Majesty added that his meetings with members of Parliament would continue in
the future with the aim of coordinating on various issues and challenges.
King Abdullah began a series of meetings with deputies to discuss political and
socio-economic issues earlier this week. On Sunday, he met with members of the
National Parliamentary Action Front and New Reformists, calling for a “new
chapter” between deputies and the government, which, he said, should work as
“one team” to meet challenges facing Jordan. He also met with National
Democratic Coalition, Shaab, Watan, Islamic Action Front and Democratic Alliance
MPs on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Badran continued, for the second day, his meetings with parliamentary
blocs to agree on a formula of cooperation between the executive and legislative
branches of government.
He told National Democratic Coalition and Democratic Alliance MPs that the
government would take into consideration the views expressed by the people's
deputies when drawing up plans designed to improve the living conditions of
citizens.
The premier acquainted the deputies with an outline of the policy statement of
his government and reviewed the economic hurdles facing the Kingdom.
The members of the two blocs pledged full cooperation with the government to
enhance the democratic process and communicate their opinions regarding the
ongoing reforms to the premier.