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Jordan

King Abdullah wants political reforms in Jordan

There may be political reforms in the Middle Eastern kingdom of Jordan after the King went public this week and said he supports a reform of the nation’s political system. King Abdullah of Jordan gave his support for the efforts of the Royal Committee to Modernise the Political System on Monday. The King said that the reform must strive to meet its objectives to fulfill the aspirations of Jordanians.

On Monday, the King and Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan attended a meeting with the chairman of the Royal Committee of Modernisation, Samir Rifai. According to a Royal Court statement, King Abdullah affirmed the importance of tackling political, economic and administrative reform within a holistic approach. His Majesty said the committee has enormous tasks, stressing the importance of transparently continuing its work and keeping the public informed of its discussions and consensus so that all stakeholders know what is needed moving forward.

Samir Rifai, chairman of the Royal Committee of Modernisation, gave the Jordanian monarch a briefing on the committee’s progress. He said the committee would continue to reach out to the public, experts and political and partisan figures for feedback and comments. In a statement, the King wrote: “The process of modernisation and development will continue for a better future for Jordan, despite attempts to hinder its progress.”

The situation in Jordan has been somewhat tense in recent months after a coup was averted. In April this year, Prince Hamzah bin Hussein, the former Crown Prince of Jordan, was placed under house arrest. The Prince is a half-brother to King Abdullah. The King enlisted the help of his uncle, Prince El Hassan bin Talal, to help mediate the situation with his brother. Prince Hamzah signed a letter on 5 April where he pledged his allegiance to the King and was later released after he publicly went out and refused that he has tried to destabilize the country or be disloyal to his half-brother.

About author

Senior Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen has a master in military and political history of the Nordic countries. He has written six books on historical subjects and more than 1.500 articles for Royal Central. He has also interview both Serbian and Norwegian royals. Aanmoen is based in Oslo, Norway.