Complete cooperation with Parliament will be government’s constant, consistent approach — Mulki

Following is the official translation of Prime Minister Hani Mulki's reply to the Royal Letter of Designation from His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday:

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate,

Your Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein

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

With all loyalty, faithfulness and respect, I convey to Your Majesty heart-felt greetings, as the country has just completed a political reform milestone fulfilled by Jordanians, who have exhibited utter awareness and nobility, while national institutions proved highly professional under Your Majesty’s wise leadership. You have never accepted but to see Jordan vibrant, proud, brave and invincible and to see its development process uninterrupted by challenges.

As you have honoured me with the task of forming a government and undertaking such a responsibility in the service of our dear country and people, I shall be committed to taking the Royal Letter of Designation as a  source of guidance in carrying out the national responsibilities vested in us, so that we translate into facts on the ground its contents, sharp visions and deep-rooted constants to ensure that our country will continue progress, development and excellence at the present critical stage engulfed with challenges, which Jordan has historically turned into opportunities for advancement.

Your Majesty,

All have testified to the integrity, credibility and smoothness of the parliamentary elections, which have posed as a landmark in the history of political reform of Jordan and provided an indicator of Jordan’s strength, deep-rooted values, robust institutions and the steadfastness of its people and leadership, who have made up their minds not to abandon the path of reform and to resort only to ballots in public affairs, in a volatile region where guns do not fall silent and bloodshed does not stop.

We pledge to commit to Your Majesty’s visions in our relationship with the Parliament, which will be based on a sense of partnership and cooperation, within the frameworks set by the Constitution, laws and regulations. We cannot confront the challenges our country is facing without such a spirit that rises to Your Majesty’s expectations and renders the state institutions efficient enough to meet the expectations of Jordanians.

Complete cooperation with the two houses of Parliament, the Senate and the Lower House, will be our constant and consistent approach and the government will present its policy statement to the esteemed Lower House within the constitutional deadline, seeking confidence on the basis of the statement, in which we will detail the government's programmes and policies for the next stage, guided by your sharp visions embodied in the Letter of Designation.

In implementation of Your Majesty’s directives, we will carry on with work to conduct the elections of municipal and local councils next year, in continuation of the democratic reform process and to enable Jordanians to further participate and have a say in decision making, produce new social and political leaders, improve the quality of decisions and services, set developmental priorities according to a bottom-up approach from the field and ensure fair distribution of developmental gains.

Therefore, the government will finalise the pending by-laws and instructions required to put the Decentralisation Law into effect. Moreover, it will complete the necessary arrangements to support and enable the Independent Election Commission to conduct the elections of municipal and local councils that should be an advanced model and a new building block in our national democratic path.

Your Majesty,

The government is committed to implementing the Royal directives regarding administrative reforms based on meritocracy and integrity. The government will combat wasta and nepotism that undermine justice and equality, offend Jordanians and increase mistrust in institutions. The values of justice, egalitarianism and equal opportunity will be respected all the time and we will translate them into concrete practices on the ground whose fruits will be reaped by Jordanians.

In parallel, the government will complete the measures taken to develop the performance of the government apparatus to improve its quality and render it swifter and more efficient. We will adopt practical and scientific performance measurements for each and every sector. We will also complete the e-government project and computerisation of government work to ensure good performance as well as prompt and transparent procedures.

In response to Royal directives, the government will continue with its field work approach, reaching out to the various governorates and regions of the Kingdom, with the aim of first-hand detection of the needs of citizens. We will listen to them and explain public policies that affect their lives, to enroot the principle of "citizen service" as a consistent approach embraced by the government and officials. This is a key feature of Your Majesty’s wise and progressive approach.

Your Majesty,

The government realises how massive the economic challenge is, having been exacerbated by the regional developments, foremost of which is the Syrian crisis which has had a direct impact on Jordan at the security, economic and social levels. Such implications, attributed to the refugee influx caused by events in Syria, placed pressure on resources, services, and the Treasury amidst declining external assistance.

Therefore, the government will do its utmost to raise the GDP growth, reduce debt, enhance the national economy and its competitiveness, develop the business environment, create jobs for Jordanians, implement the recommendations of the Economic Policies Council and cooperate with the council and benefit from its recommendations and build on the simplified rules of origin, which were the outcome of the London conference to support refugee host countries, so as to multiply our exports to Europe and attract investments from there.

The government will prepare developmental and investment projects listed in the Jordan Investment Fund Law. These projects are expected to boost economic growth rates and generate jobs based on the memorandum of understanding signed with the brotherly Saudi Arabia. In parallel, the government will develop and execute developmental programmes in governorates with the aim of creating jobs and easing economic hardships.

All of these, Your Majesty, will be coupled with transparency and honesty as we address citizens, in partnership with the nation's deputies, so that we uphold the principles of national responsibility, participatory decision making and positive interaction between the branches of government and build ambitious and realistic national expectations.

Regarding the education, higher education and scientific research sectors, the government is determined to carry on with development plans that reflect positively on the outcomes and reputation of education in the Kingdom at its various stages. The government will implement the recommendations of the Royal Committee for Human Resources Development, which has identified the magnitude of the challenge candidly and scientifically. The government, subsequently, is required to attach utmost attention to this strategic issue and provide the necessary resources to address it.

With regard to the health sector, the government is committed to improving the healthcare offered to citizens and to completing the computerisation and electronic connectivity of this sector. It will also support the role of the Health Care Accreditation Council and empower it to improve the performance of healthcare institutions. Moreover, the government will work on adequately developing the medical tourism sector, due to its economic vitality.

Recognising the significance of the energy sector in the national economy, the government will continue implementing the relevant strategy, which sets the objectives of diversifying the sources of energy, implementing mega projects and liberating the oil derivatives market in a way that ensures fair competition and benefits citizens.

The water sector poses another strategic challenge. The government will execute a package of strategic projects to protect our water resources and develop new ones. These projects include the Red-Dead Canal, the water desalination and treatment projects and plans to increase water use efficiency.

As regards youth, they are, as Your Majesty often describes them, the source of future hope and optimism and the makers of change. Therefore, the government will continue through the Ministry of Youth to execute programmes and plans to support this category and immune young people against the perils of extremism, radicalism, bigotry and alienation that have invaded the entire world. The government will also continue supporting programmes and policies to increase women's participation in public life, building on the national achievement witnessed in the recent parliamentary elections, in which we saw for the first time in our political life 20 women making it to the House through ballots.

Regarding foreign policy, the government will adhere to its approach of defending national interests based on national and pan-Arab constants and will continue defending the Arab and Islamic causes and advancing joint Arab action and Arabs' regional leverage. These endeavours will enhance future prospects for our Arab nation and achieve common Arab interests, in a way that contributes to preserving world peace and stability.

Our stand on the Palestinian cause is unwavering. The government will continue providing every possible support to the brotherly Palestinians and defending their sacred right to establish their independent state, with Jerusalem as its capital, within the June 4 (1967) lines and in line with the relevant international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. We will continue our leading efforts in the international arena to serve this just cause.

The government will also pay utmost attention to the holy sites in Jerusalem and will exhaust all its political, diplomatic and legal options towards this end, in fulfilment of the religious and historical responsibility and the historical Hashemite custodianship on Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem.

In regards to the other regional and international issues, the government will strengthen Jordan’s firm and constant stand in support of political resolutions, foremost of which is the Syrian crisis, in a manner that ensures Syria's security, stability and the unity of its people and territories. We will also support efforts aimed at bringing about security and stability in Iraq, Yemen, Libya and other sisterly countries.

The government will also continue supporting anti-terrorism efforts at all levels, to confront the khawarij of our age, defend the values and principles of true Islam, safeguard the future of our country and generations and execute national strategies and plans to fight extremism. Indifference and hesitancy in this regard will not be tolerated, as extremism is a looming threat and it is our duty to stand up to face it with courage, as Jordan has always done.

We will also provide all necessary capabilities to support and empower our brave Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army, the protectors of the homeland and source of its pride, along with the security agencies that work day and night to protect the country and the future of its people.

As I have the honour to present to Your Majesty the names of the ministerial team that will share the responsibility with me, I seek your approval, pledging before God and Your Majesty to be faithful soldiers of our beloved country and proud people, praying to God to preserve you, guide your steps on the right path and bestow good health on Your Majesty.

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

Faithfully Yours,

Dr Hani Al Mulki

Amman- 26 Dhul Hijja 1437AH

28 September 2016AD