­­A new chapter in the democrati­c process

In his Speech from the Throne during the inauguration of the 19th Parliament’s non-ordinary session, His Majesty King Abdullah delineated Jordan's top national priorities amid the current economic challenges and efforts to address the consequences of the coronavirus crisis.

The Palestinian issue figured highly in the speech of the King, who, as the Hashemite Custodian of the Muslim and Christian holy sites in East Jerusalem, reaffirmed Jordan's unwavering position on the two-state solution, which is Jordan's strategic choice.

His Majesty emphasised that "denying the Palestinian people their just and legitimate rights is the very reason our region continues to suffer conflict and instability”.

Safeguarding Palestinian rights to their lands is part and parcel of Jordan’s resolve and the two-state solution is the drive for stability, peace and prosperity to sprout in the region and beyond.

The King stressed on the continued commitment in defending Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites underscoring that: "We have not, and will never, waver from defending Jerusalem, its holy sites, its identity, and its history."

His Majesty reiterated Jordan's rejection of any attempts to alter the holy city's status.

"The Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem’s Islamic and Christian holy sites is a duty, a commitment, a firm belief, and a responsibility we have proudly undertaken for more than a hundred years. Jerusalem is the symbol of peace, and we will not accept any attempts to alter its historical and legal status quo, nor attempts of temporal or spatial division of Al Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif, said the King."

In addressing the pandemic-induced challenges, His Majesty underlined the importance of prioritising citizens’ health and wellbeing while safeguarding the national economy. 

The speech exhorts to capitalise on Jordan’s promising opportunities in the food and pharmaceutical industries, in medical equipment manufacturing and in agriculture.

Reassuring citizens, the King said: "Those who know this nation’s history, stand in awe of its journey, over a hundred years, as it stood tall and proud like Jordan’s mountains, and as it was built with the resolve of its people, and the sacrifices of the ancestors, who achieved so much with so little, and wrote the success story that is Jordan."

Conducting parliamentary elections amid the challenges and restrictions imposed by the pandemic was no small feat for Jordan. As Jordan enters a new phase in its democratisation process, the experience gained and the lessons learned in the ongoing fight against the pandemic will no doubt strengthen the Kingdom’s resolve in its onward march.