Jordan Times
Monday, June 25, 2007
King commends achievements of
We are All Jordan committees
AMMAN (Petra) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday commended the achievements
of the We are All Jordan Commission’s six subcommittees, describing it as an
incubator for ideas and perspectives needed to face domestic and foreign
challenges.
During a meeting at Bayt Al Urdun with commission members yesterday, King
Abdullah said the commission has been able to arrive at several good results,
building on the priorities set during the We are All Jordan forum held last
year.
The forum, which brought together 700 experts, incumbent and former officials
and lawmakers, was held last July to set the country’s top priorities within the
context of a national consensus over issues Jordan should address in order to
meet domestic, regional and international challenges.
Following the forum’s meetings, King Abdullah directed the government to
establish the We are All Jordan Commission to follow up on recommendations set
by the forum, stressing that it would serve as a Royal advisory body, without
transgressing the authority of any constitutional institution.
Members include the prime minister, the Senate president, former prime
ministers, the Lower House speaker, former ministers and representatives of the
private sector, the media and women’s organisations, in addition to the
secretary general of the National Policies Council as rapporteur.The Monarch
tasked the 27-member panel to form subcommittees to set up work mechanisms and
draft regular reports on progress made.
The six major topics evoked by the forum participants included the Palestine
issue, political reform, external challenges, domestic development, economic
reform and social security.
“I have been following up the committees’ activities and reviewing reports… and
I would like to thank you for your efforts over the past period,” the King said
during yesterday’s meeting.
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, who chairs the follow-up committee, presented a
preliminary report on the progress achieved so far on the forum’s
recommendations.
The premier referred to the establishment the Anti Corruption Commission and the
endorsement of the elections, municipalities, press and publications, access to
information, financial disclosure, and National Human Rights Centre laws.
“There are many domestic political, social, economic and financial challenges,
foremost of which are poverty and unemployment, which despite all efforts
exerted still require more work,” the prime minister said.
Bakhit also referred to projects in the fields of water, energy and transport,
noting that the government has received three bids for the Disi Water Conveyance
Project, but they still needed further scrutiny, “because what we are concerned
about in the end is the price citizens have to pay for water.”
Senate President Zeid Rifai, who heads the committee on the Palestinian issue,
said its members held several meetings and agreed to examine the issue by
focusing on three core aspects: First, the establishment of the Palestinian
state is in Jordan’s interest; second, more cooperation and coordination in
Jordanian-Palestinian relations; and third, the internal dimension of the
Palestinian issue.
Rifai presented foremost of the committee’s recommendations, which emphasised
that settling up the Palestinian state would have a positive impact on Jordan’s
security, as well as its political, economic and social conditions.
Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali, who chairs the committee on strengthening
the domestic front, said the strength of this front is linked to the strength of
the state in all its military, security, political, economic and social powers.
The committee stressed the importance of continuing to build up the army and
security, noting that political development is the basis for real development.
President of the Political Reform Committee Senator Taher Masri said the panel
agreed that its work was not restricted to a specific duration and that its
foremost task is to define the framework of political work and its main facets.
These include enhancing the freedom of practising politics, public participation
in political life, the role of civic society institutions, political parties and
the media, the independence of the judiciary and empowering women.