King says lawmakers' endorsement of draft political parties law key step towards modernisation

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday said the House of Representatives’ endorsement of the draft political parties law is a key step towards political modernisation, which also awaits the endorsement of the draft elections law.

At a meeting with the House speaker and heads of parliamentary blocs, King Abdullah said the House is debating important draft laws, which require commitment to attending sessions, in order to maintain the Chamber’s legislative function, according to a Royal Court statement. 

His Majesty stressed the key role of parliamentary blocs in supporting the state’s efforts towards political, economic and administrative modernisation.

The King said the House should also follow up on the economic roadmap that will come out of the National Economic Workshop currently being held at the Royal Hashemite Court, and will continue across governments.

Turning to foreign affairs, His Majesty noted the importance of integration among Arab countries, pointing to efforts underway to enhance cooperation between Jordan and neighbouring countries, which will reflect positively on economic opportunities, as well as countering poverty and unemployment, the statement said. 

The King spoke about the international implications of the developments in Ukraine, stressing the need to focus domestically on food security by bolstering investment in the agricultural sector across the Kingdom.

Wheat reserves in Jordan are at safe levels and work is underway to increase them, His Majesty said, urging efforts to ensure minimum impact on the economy from the developments in Ukraine, in coordination with Arab countries, and especially in terms of energy prices, according to the statement. 

The King called for working towards solutions to protect citizens from the ramifications of international price hikes, through public-private partnerships.

The meeting also covered the latest regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.

For his part, House Speaker Abdul Karim Dughmi said the House is proceeding with the steps towards political modernisation, having endorsed the constitutional amendments and the draft political parties law, and will commence debating the draft elections parties law.

The speaker also stressed the House’s support for efforts to come up with an economic roadmap that continues across governments and ensure national resilience.

The heads of parliamentary committees spoke about the importance of enhancing the role of the House of Representatives, highlighting the need to give more attention to the agricultural sector to bolster the Kingdom’s food security.

They also called for activating governorate and municipal councils to move effectively towards decentralisation, urging changes to the House’s rules of procedure to ensure a more impactful legislative role.