Jordan Times
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
National Agenda to be presented to King Sunday
AMMAN (Petra) — The National Agenda of political
and socio-economic reform will be presented to His Majesty King Abdullah on
Sunday, a senior official announced.
Deputy Prime Minister Marwan Muasher, who heads the Steering Committee for the
National Agenda, told reporters yesterday that the 2,500-page document will be
posted on Internet for citizens to review.
Muasher, also government spokesperson, said the “objective and applicable”
agenda addressed all aspects of reform.
The deputy premier said the document included plans to cover all Jordanians
under health insurance by 2012, and create 600,000 jobs during the coming 10
years, reducing unemployment rate from 12.5 per cent to 6.8 per cent. Another
plan is to abolish current legislation hindering women's empowerment by 2015, he
said, adding that by 2017 allocations for scientific research will increase from
0.4 per cent to 1.5 per cent.
Muasher said that after King Abdullah reviews the document, a ministerial team
will be formed to implement the agenda. He added that every ministry will set up
a follow-up team that will report to the Prime Ministry.
Last week, King Abdullah said the release of the National Agenda proposals was
unrelated to any government change, telling Al Rai daily that a referendum on
the document was unnecessary and was also unconstitutional.
He said the government will study the recommendations, principles and ideas
agreed by the members of the Steering Committee for the National Agenda, and on
issues such as the Elections Law the government may find a need for additional
dialogue.
King Abdullah added that the path of the National Agenda would take it through
the evaluation of recommendations, and the translation of those proposals into
programmes and laws that would go through the constitutional process.