King lauds local polls as ‘significant reform-oriented step’

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with the president and members of the National Policy Council over current developments in the region, as well as the decentralisation and municipal elections held on Tuesday, according to a Royal Court statement. 

During the meeting held at the Amman-based National Centre for Security and Crisis Management, King Abdullah stressed that the local and decentralisation elections constitute a new and important step in the comprehensive reform process pursued by Jordan.

The meeting was attended by HRH Prince Faisal, Adviser to His Majesty and Chairman of the National Policy Council in addition to senior civilian and military officials.

His Majesty expressed his appreciation for the Independent Election Commission's efforts in managing the electoral process efficiently.

He also praised the level of coordination and full cooperation between the various concerned bodies and the competent security officials during the administration of the electoral process, and its success in the manner that suits Jordan and its international reputation.

King Abdullah pointed out that local government institutions should enable citizens to determine their priorities and to participate actively in the decision-making process.

The meeting also addressed the current regional situation in Iraq and Syria, especially with regard to the recently achieved calm in areas of the southern borders of Syria.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki, Royal Hashemite Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Adnan Jundi, Director of the Office of His Majesty Jafar Hassan, King’s Adviser for Tribal Affairs Sharif Fawwaz Zaben Abdullah, Adviser to His Majesty and National Policies Council Rapporteur Abdullah Wreikat, Interior Minister Ghaleb Zu’bi, Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani, Public Security Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Sarhan Faqih, and General Director of the Gendarmerie Department Maj. Gen. Hussein Hawatmeh attended the meeting.