Jordan Times
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Coming stage crucial -
King
AMMAN (Petra) - His Majesty King Abdullah has stressed that the coming stage is
crucial at various levels.
He said it would be an era of “implementation and actual achievement regarding
programmes and plans that have matured”, adding that such plans represent the
outcome of national forums and meetings like the “National Agenda”, “We are All
Jordan” and others.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Jordan News Agency, Petra, conducted by the
agency’s chief, Ramadan Rawashdeh, King Abdullah said the next phase requires
concerted efforts by all citizens, especially the legislative authority which
“bears the greater responsibility in drafting and endorsing legislation that
regulates citizens' lives, and in monitoring the performance of the executive
authority within the framework of the Constitution”.
It also requires focused efforts to create job opportunities for youth who will
be joining the workforce and to arm the younger generation with the best
education and training so that they become an effective and productive element
that contributes to the quality leap the country needs as it pursues the various
aspects of growth.
Providing social safety for citizens across the Kingdom by securing housing,
healthcare, education and transport is a top priority and this is especially
important for the limited-income groups, the Monarch added.
He said he has directed the government to work on a comprehensive social safety
network and to adopt a new mechanism that would tie citizens' income to
inflation levels in order to alleviate the burdens of price hikes.
On the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for November 20, King Abdullah
said: “I have emphasised on more than one occasion that the government is
required to conduct free, fair and transparent elections that guarantee wide
voter participation and I hope that citizens will participate and exercise their
right to choose the candidate that is most efficient and capable of conveying
their voice and of placing the national interest ahead of all other
considerations.”
Regarding the Middle East peace process, His Majesty said Jordan’s priority is
the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on Palestinian soil, and
“we will spare no effort to help the Palestinians achieve this goal through
peaceful negotiations”.
“Regardless of the speculation about the [Annapolis] peace meeting, we will keep
defending Palestinian rights… We see it as an opportunity to contribute to
ending the state of regional tension, end the Israeli occupation, pave the way
for a just solution to the Palestinian issue and ensure the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state,” the King said.
King Abdullah said he has sensed seriousness and great concern from Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas to drive the peace process towards a conclusion.
“We also heard from Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert two days ago that there
would be an opportunity to realise real achievements including a two-state
solution before the end of US President Bush's term… These are positive signs
that we hope will be followed by further measures to render the upcoming meeting
a success.”
On the other regional key issues, the King reiterated that Iraq remains an
integral part of the Arab and Islamic worlds, and its security and stability
reflects on its neighbours.
“Arab countries need to work to ensure Iraq's unity and Arab identity. We count
on the Iraqi people's awareness and its political leadership to frustrate the
plans that others have to undermine their unity and sovereignty.
“We in Jordan oppose any plan that threatens the territorial integrity of Iraq
and seeks to fragment it, and we stress that the Iraqis themselves are most
capable of drafting their own future.”
Regarding Iraqis in Jordan, the King said, “Jordanians share with them their
livelihood, and they are here among family. We are committed to providing them
with all facilities until they are able to return to their country to
participate in its reconstruction.”
As for the political crisis facing Lebanon, the Monarch renewed the Kingdom’s
support for the constitutionality of Lebanon's presidential election, which, he
said, should necessarily be free and legitimate.
King Abdullah said coordination with Arab countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and
Gulf states has resulted in unified stands on several challenges facing the Arab
nation.
“We seek coordination and consultation with everyone, out of our conviction that
the challenges facing the Arab countries require cooperation in order that they
do not exacerbate… We should all remember that lack of coordination and disunity
among Arab countries opens door wide to regional powers eager to implement their
agendas. This is definitely something we wholeheartedly oppose.”