Parliament to present reply to Speech from Throne

AMMAN — The two Houses of Parliament are scheduled to present their replies to the Speech from the Throne during a meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

The King delivered his speech at the opening of the current ordinary session of the 17th Parliament on November 15.

According to Article 79 of the Constitution, "the King shall inaugurate the ordinary session of the National Assembly by a Speech from the Throne addressed to a joint meeting of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. 

"He may deputise the prime minister or any of the ministers to perform the inauguration ceremony and deliver the Speech from the Throne. Each of the two Houses shall submit a petition which shall contain its Reply thereto."

In his speech, the King underlined that Jordan has succeeded in turning challenges into opportunities by adopting a comprehensive roadmap seeking to achieve progress, sustainable development and a better future for Jordanians.

His Majesty cited the municipalities, decentralisation, political parties and elections laws as the cornerstones of the envisioned reform, calling for "the highest degree of cooperation and coordination between all institutions" to build on success achieved in various sectors.

Improving the living conditions of Jordanians is the first and foremost national priority, he told lawmakers, calling for more efforts to achieve that.