Letter to Samir Rifai entrusting him with chairing the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful,

Your Excellency Samir Rifai,

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you,

I convey to you my greetings and best wishes of success, having known you for many years as a Jordanian devoted to the homeland, who has worked diligently in various positions and devotedly shouldered the responsibility, out of a belief that Jordan’s interest is your one purpose and compass.

Today, with Jordan on the threshold of a new phase of progress and modernisation, I hereby entrust you with chairing the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System. Its mission will be to put forward new draft election and political parties laws; look into the necessary constitutional amendments connected to the two laws and the mechanisms of parliamentary work; and provide recommendations on developing legislation regulating local administration, expanding participation in decision-making, and creating a political and legislative environment conducive to the active engagement of youth and women in public life.

Your Excellency,

Modernisation and development are characteristics of active states and peoples, and our dear Jordanian people have always been at the forefront of those seeking progress and reform. I am proud of what our nation has achieved over its long history, and I feel duty-bound to continue the process of development to guarantee Jordanians’ right to engage in a parliamentary and political life that enhances their democracy and way of life and contributes to fulfilling their aspirations, as our state embarks on its second centennial.

We are determined to bring about a qualitative leap in political and parliamentary life, in a manner that guarantees the objectives and aspirations for the future. We expect you to come up with a legislative framework to set the grounds for effective partisan life capable of persuading voters with its platforms, leading to a parliament built on platform-based blocs and currents, and establishing for an advanced phase in the way the executive branch exercises its responsibilities, in accordance with the Jordanian Constitution.

It is of importance to us that your honourable committee pay attention to the role of youth and explore means of motivating their engagement in partisan and parliamentary life, while empowering women’s active engagement and promoting the values of good citizenship—in terms of rights, duties, freedoms guaranteed by legislation, and the full adherence to the rule of law.

Here, I find it necessary to underscore that the seven discussion papers I put forth for public debate years ago, and the attention they received, could guide your efforts and contribute to mapping out the future of our country and people.

I guarantee before all Jordanians that my government will adopt the outcomes of the committee’s work, and will submit them to Parliament immediately without any interventions or attempts to alter or influence them.

Your responsibility today entails putting forward consensually agreed on draft laws that guarantee gradual transition into the full realisation of future goals and the fair representation of citizens across the nation, while serving citizens in current times and foreseeing developments in their lives and their future.

Today, we take our first step into the state’s second centennial, and we want our national history to record that it started with a dedicated, earnest national effort towards further development and progress.

Your Excellency,

I am awaiting the outcome of your work, which shall include the recommendations and proposed draft laws, provided that their date of submission would precede the convening of the next ordinary session of Parliament.

We have selected Your Excellency to chair the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System that shall include the following members:

1. Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs
2. Saleh Irshaidat
3. Amin Mahmoud
4. Samir Habashneh
5. Abdul Rahim Okour
6. Ahmad Tbeishat
7. Bassam Haddadin
8. Walid Masri
9. Mohammad Momani
10. Reem Abu Hassan
11. Mazen Qadi
12. Khawla Armouti
13. Haditha Khraisha
14. Ahmad Abbadi
15. Mohammad Abu Rumman
16. Fares Braizat
17. Mustafa Hamarneh
18. Madallah Tarawneh
19. Samar Haj Hassan
20. Yasser Otoum
21. Hamzah Mansour
22. Mohammed Arslan
23. Hussein Queisi
24. Khalid Bakkar
25. Jamil Nimri
26. Mohammad Dawaimeh
27. Wafa Bani Mustafa
28. Abla Abu Olbeh
29. Khamis Atieh
30. Adnan Al Sawair
31. Mustafa Yaghi
32. Ali Sneid
33. Amjad Al Khattab
34. Reem Abu Dalbouh
35. Kais Zayadin
36. Khaled Ramadan
37. Ibrahim Bdour
38. Ibrahim Abu Alez
39. Dima Tahboub
40. Faraj Etmezeh
41. Ahmad Shunnaq
42. Nathir Arabiyat
43. Sharaf Qudah
44. Zeid Kilani
45. Abdul Hadi Falahat
46. Ahmad Samara Zubi
47. Abla Amawi
48. Saed Karajeh
49. Laith Nasrawin
50. Wafa Khadra
51. Bushra Abu Shahout
52. Asia Yaghi
53. Mohammad Saqer
54. Bilal Tal
55. Ramadan Rawashdeh
56. Raed Adwan
57. Wael Saqqa
58. Ziad Majali
59. Muhannad Mubaidin
60. Yacoub Nasereddin
61. Orabi Rantawi
62. Zaid Eyadat
63. Musa Shteiwi
64. Hassan Barari
65. Amer Bani Amer
66. Amer Al Sabaileh
67. Hani Akhu Rasheedeh
68. Mohammad Farajat
69. Maysa Baidoun
70. Omar Al Jazi
71. Reem Marayat
72. Mohammad Sabbagh
73. Muna Sukhtian
74. Basem Sakijha
75. Batir Wardam
76. Zaid Nawaiseh
77. Ramzi Khouri
78. Maha Obeidiyeen
79. Adma Zureiqat
80. Jamal Raggad
81. Zaid Nabulsi
82. Alaa Kayed
83. Sultan Khalaileh
84. Fahad Husban
85. Rakan Rowad
86. Anas Bilieh
87. Mai Abu Idad
88. Ahmad Salman
89. Lina Aloul
90. Obaidah Farajallah
91. Abdullah Jbarah
92. Ahmad Sheikha

Wishing you every success.

Peace, God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.

Your brother,
Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein
Amman, 10 June 2021