His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday stressed the importance of endorsing pending legislation during the current ordinary session of Parliament and underscored the need to implement economic policies to alleviate poverty in the country.

In his Speech from the Throne at the opening of the fourth ordinary session of Parliament yesterday, King Abdullah said Jordan must realize more economic, social, political and legislative achievements without delay, to face “numerous and dangerous internal and external challenges.”

“In this respect, I would like to affirm the importance, and necessity of finalizing the laws sent to your honorable Parliament, especially those regulating political parties, municipalities, media and freedom of information,” the King told senators and deputies.

King Abdullah said the government was committed to “enhancing and strengthening the internal front,” and would work to fulfill political and constitutional duties, including “holding parliamentary elections, protecting Jordanians' human rights, ensuring freedom for individuals and groups, and enhancing youth participation in all stages of work and development.”

The government will also work on improving living standards, preserving public freedoms, enhancing popular participation — especially the participation of women and youth — in decision-making, elevating the standard of services, encouraging investment, accelerating privatization and improving labor market conditions, the King said in his speech.

In addition, it will continue to fight corruption, ensure the supremacy of law, enhance the judiciary's independence, transparency and accountability, and focus on human resource development and self-sufficiency.

The King said he directed the government to include programs and projects in the 2007 general budget, which would “improve the standard of living of citizens in all governorates, enhance the investment climate, and realize justice in the distribution of the benefits of development.”

“As for fighting poverty, my government will seek to reallocate financial resources to target the poor directly, through the Social Solidarity Commission, to coordinate national aid efforts,” the King said during yesterday's session, attended by the Upper and Lower Houses and Cabinet ministers.

In his speech, the King said the government would distribute 5,000 plots of land with infrastructure to poor families during 2007 and complete the construction of 1,400 housing units for the underprivileged.

“This will be complemented by the establishment of economic development zones in a number of governorates, and the enhancement of the capabilities of local institutions, municipalities, and the cooperative sector so that their contribution to local development will be strengthened,” he added.

“Over the past seven years, we have realized numerous achievements, but the road ahead is still long. We have to work earnestly and seriously to realize our national objectives, and complete the modernization of Jordan as a state of institutions, where law is supreme, and where every citizen enjoys justice, equal opportunities, democracy, security and stability,” the King told members of Parliament.

Also on Tuesday, the Upper and Lower Houses convened to elect their permanent offices.

Incumbent Lower House Speaker Abdul Hadi Majali was reelected, garnering 73 votes, while his contender, Deputy Zuheir Abul Ragheb from the Islamic Action Front bloc, received 26 votes.

Nayef Al Fayez was elected as the first deputy of the speaker and Falak Jamaani the second.

The Jordan Times