Jordan Times
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
King calls for
maintaining fast pace of achievement, modernisation
By Mohammad Ben Hussein
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday stressed the importance of
endorsing pending legislation during the current ordinary session of Parliament
and underscored the need to implement economic policies to alleviate poverty in
the country.
In his Speech from the Throne at the opening of the fourth ordinary session of
Parliament yesterday, the Monarch said Jordan must realise more economic,
social, political and legislative achievements without delay, to face “numerous
and dangerous internal and external challenges.”
“In this respect, I would like to affirm the importance, and necessity of
finalising the laws sent to your honourable Parliament, especially those
regulating political parties, municipalities, media and freedom of information,”
the King told senators and deputies.
King Abdullah said the government was committed to “enhancing and strengthening
the internal front,” and would work to fulfil political and constitutional
duties, including “holding parliamentary elections, protecting Jordanians’ human
rights, ensuring freedom for individuals and groups, and enhancing youth
participation in all stages of work and development.”
The government will also work on improving living standards, preserving public
freedoms, enhancing popular participation — especially the participation of
women and youth — in decision-making, elevating the standard of services,
encouraging investment, accelerating privatisation and improving labour market
conditions, the King said in his speech.
In addition, it will continue to fight corruption, ensure the supremacy of law,
enhance the judiciary’s independence, transparency and accountability, and focus
on human resource development and self-sufficiency.
The King said he directed the government to include programmes and projects in
the 2007 general budget, which would “improve the standard of living of citizens
in all governorates, enhance the investment climate, and realise justice in the
distribution of the benefits of development.”
“As for fighting poverty, my government will seek to reallocate financial
resources to target the poor directly, through the Social Solidarity Commission,
to coordinate national aid efforts,” the King said during yesterday’s session,
attended by the Upper and Lower Houses and Cabinet ministers.
In his speech, the Monarch said the government would distribute 5,000 plots of
land with infrastructure to poor families during 2007 and complete the
construction of 1,400 housing units for the underprivileged.
“This will be complemented by the establishment of economic development zones in
a number of governorates, and the enhancement of the capabilities of local
institutions, municipalities, and the cooperative sector so that their
contribution to local development will be strengthened,” he added.
“Over the past seven years, we have realised numerous achievements, but the road
ahead is still long. We have to work earnestly and seriously to realise our
national objectives, and complete the modernisation of Jordan as a state of
institutions, where law is supreme, and where every citizen enjoys justice,
equal opportunities, democracy, security and stability,” the King told members
of Parliament.
Also on Tuesday, the Upper and Lower Houses convened to elect their permanent
offices.
Incumbent Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali was reelected, garnering 73
votes, while his contender, Deputy Zuheir Abul Ragheb from the Islamic Action
Front bloc, received 26 votes.
Nayef Al Fayez was elected as the first deputy of the speaker and Falak Jamaani
the second.