Political modernisation efforts need ‘real, intense work’ — Rifai

AMMAN — Chairperson of the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System and former prime minister Samir Rifai, on Sunday delivered a lecture at Al Rai Centre for Studies to discuss the recommendations of the committee.

Rifai stressed that His Majesty King Abdullah will follow up on the implementation of these legislations, as they constitute an important stage in the development and modernisation of Jordan. 

He highlighted Parliament’s role in approving the committee’s recommendations in a way that ensures materialising serious work in the “post-committee” stage.

The Lower House is “the master of itself” and has the constitutional right to approve all legislation, he underlined. 

Rifai rejected rumours claiming that the notion of a collective identity serves settlement agendas or tampers with the rights of citizenship, adding that “collective identities reject settlement and that Jordan is for Jordanians and it will not be an alternative homeland for anyone”.

In the lecture, attended by politicians, writers, party members and media professionals, Rifai said that any efforts towards change and modernisation, even in the form of legislation, will remain as “abstract theories if not complemented by a real will and intense work”.