Lawmakers vow to play significant role in country’s advancement

AMMAN — The two chambers of Parliament on Wednesday presented their replies to His Majesty King Abdullah's Speech from the Throne, which he delivered on October 14, inaugurating the third ordinary session of the 18th Parliament.

The lawmakers vowed cooperation with the government to translate, into facts on the ground, the vision and guidelines His Majesty included in the address. 

In the speech, King Abdullah said that all Jordanians have an equal right to justice and that corruption will not be left unaddressed to become a chronic social illness, affirming that the state’s institutions are well capable of uprooting corruption and holding to account those who dare to encroach on public funds.

His Majesty added that Jordanians deserve much more, especially in terms of health, education and transport services.

The King said that the process of development in Jordan, “as in other countries, has been marred by some mistakes and challenges, which we must learn from, resolve and prevent from reoccurring, so that we may move forward. 

This dissatisfaction is, unfortunately, the result of a weakening public trust in government institutions, as well as an atmosphere of scepticism that leads to frustration and withdrawal”.

In the Upper Chamber’s reply to the speech, Senate President Faisal Fayez expressed Jordanians’ pride of His Majesty’s decision to terminate the annexes of Baqoura and Ghumar in the 1994 Jordanian-Israeli peace treaty, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Fayez commended King Abdullah’s visions on the three main aspect that were mentioned in the Speech from the Throne, which focused on the rule of law and its relation with the status of the state that tops all other priorities.

He echoed the King’s statement that justice is for all and nobody is above the law, stressing that corruption should be uprooted and state institutions should be protected against wasta (nepotism) through enhancing accountability and integrity.

As for the goal of rendering Jordan a productive nation, the president urged focus on the individual as the target of the development process.

He also expressed the Senate’s support for His Majesty’s vision of adopting a new economic approach to stimulate growth rates, enhance the financial and monetary stability and addressing the debt.

Fayez also echoed King Abdullah’s remarks that Jordanians deserve more in the health, educational and transportation services and in other means of decent living. 

For his part, Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh said that the speech covered all challenges and aspirations to reaching the state of law that enjoys a strong economy and high-quality government services.

Applying the law justly and indiscriminately requires fortifying the state institutions against corruption, wasta and bureaucracy, as well as adopting strict, serious and swift procedures to enforce the status of the state and instil the rule of law, Tarawneh added. 

He said legislators share the nation’s ambition for a transformation into a productive country that encourages entrepreneurship, openness, self-reliance and creates jobs, where the government’s role is to provide the proper environment and draw plans that can develop the state institutions and employees.

The speaker also said that the House would continue endorsing laws aimed at improving service presented to Jordanians in all fields, as well as monitoring the government’s actions in presenting these services.