Jordan Times
Friday-Saturday, September 21-22, 2001
PM addresses the Senate; focuses on state of the nation
AMMAN (Petra) Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb on Thursday said national interest takes precedence over any other considerations, and called for strengthening and uniting the internal front to face the era that followed the recent terrorist attacks on the entire world and on our region, as part of the world.Speaking during a meeting at the Upper House of Parliament, Abul Ragheb said Jordan stands firm in its fight against terrorism because it suffered greatly from terrorism and terrorist activities targeting Jordanian citizens and property.
The premier said His Majesty King Abdullah is expected to visit the United States early next month as part of the King's efforts at the international and regional levels to deal with the global crisis of terrorism.
He noted the major role King Abdullah played in dealing with the aftereffects of the current crisis resulting from the recent terrorist attacks against the United States.
The King's role left positive impressions about the Arab and Islamic world in the West, and contributed to resuming American efforts to stop the cycle of violence in the Palestinian territories and to ensure the return of the Palestinians and Israelies to the negotiating table, Abul Ragheb said.
The premier added that the US position towards the Palestinian cause, as spelled out by President Georege W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, reflects a positive change. The Bush administration had previously been relunctant to play a strong role in the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Abul Ragheb said the terrorist attacks against the US created new realities, which will have military, political and security implications on the world at large.
In dealing with these realities, Jordan will work in coordination and consultation with its Arab brethren to reach a joint understanding to serve Arab interests, Abul Ragheb said.
He noted that the Sept. 11 attacks on the US have claimed the lives of civilians from more than 60 countries, including Jordan and other Arab and Islamic countries. This, he said, shows that the world is one community and that terrorism knows no borders nor any distinctions based on race, colour or religion.
Elaborating on the causes of terrorism, the prime minister cited political, economic and social conditions, including poverty, ignorance and frustration. However, he singled out regional conflicts as a major cause of terrorism and stressed the need to deal with these differences.
On the role of media, Abul Ragheb called for formulating creative media messages targeting international public opinion, building on the important role played by King Abdullah in addressing the world community.
On the national scene, the premier said the government is determined to implement the King's directives on socio-economic plans and programmes without any delay.
Reviewing achievements, he said the second quarter of this year witnessed 4.2 per cent economic growth, with exports increasing by 18 per cent and inflation rates hovering around 1 per cent.
The prime minister said the monetary situation is at its best, stressing that the Jordanian dinar is strong. The Kingdom's reserves of foreign currency stand at $2.7 billion, and foreign debt has dropped from 82 per cent to 74 per cent of the gross national product (GNP), he added.
Citizens will feel these improvements after the completion of the government's development plans and increased investments in the country.
Turning to the issue of parliamentary elections, Abul Ragheb said elections will take place next year when the new procedures of the Elections Law are finalised. In mid-June a Royal Decree was issued dissolving the Lower House of Parliament.
He added that provisional laws passed by the government, in the absence of the Lower House, are in line with the Constitution. In August the premier had solicited the opinion of the Higher Council for the Interpretation of the Constitution on the government's right to retrieve draft laws previously submitted to Parliament in order to act on them even though the Lower House had been dissolved. The committee ruled that the practice had a precedent and was constitutional.
For their part, the senators stressed the need for the involvement of Arabs in formulating a clear and precise definition of terrorism with a view to differentiating between the legitimate defence of the nation's causes and the killing of innocent civilians.
They suggested a pan-Arab meeting at the ministerial level to reach a specific and clear definition of terrorism, and stressed the need to strengthen the internal front to deal with regional and international issues.
Senate President Zeid Rifai said he and his colleague in the Upper House wished to express their heart-felt condolences to the US government and people and their condemnation of the terrorist attacks against the US, saying that they contravene all religious principles and moral values and constitute a crime against humanity.