Jordan Times
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
King urges team spirit
AMMAN (JT) — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday
reiterated that work should be done “in a team spirit” and that MPs and the
government are partners in shouldering responsibility and facing challenges.
“I said, brothers, several times that work should be done in a team spirit, and
that all of us, members of the Upper House, deputies and government, are
partners in shouldering responsibility. We all stand in the same trench,” King
Abdullah told Prime Minister Adnan Badran, Cabinet members, parliamentarians,
former premiers and senior advisers at a Royal Court meeting (see
full text of the King's address).
Stressing that the national interest should top all considerations, the Monarch
said: “ The relation between the three authorities, especially the legislative
authority and the executive authority, should be one of cooperation and
complementarity, a relationship built on confidence, respect and feelings of
shared responsibility. But it has been really disheartening to see that
distrust, exchange of accusations and blame-laying exists. Even more
disheartening is the tug-of-war and arm-twisting between the government and the
deputies. To be even more frank, brothers, I would say that if the deputies are
not satisfied with the government's performance, they should know that citizens
— and I know the citizens well — are not satisfied with the performance of our
brothers, the deputies.”
Amid immense challenges and a dire need for true partnership to face them, the
King said, salons in certain areas of Amman “leak rumours and false news to the
foreign press to serve their personal agendas, or try to intimidate homeland
through their relations with some foreign forces.”
“Our affiliation to the homeland is much stronger than anybody who draws courage
from any other force.... I know these persons, and I know their goals and
movements,” he added.
King Abdullah also criticised certain weekly newspapers, which, he said,
“compete in spreading rumours and lies for financial gain, even at the expense
of the national interest. These newspapers attack in every direction and all
those in charge.”
“We should refrain from joining these newspapers in promoting whatever rumours,
accusations and slander they circulate,” King Abdullah added.