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The process will go on

Apr 27,2012 | 00:03

His Majesty King Abdullah tasked a new prime minister with forming a new government after Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh quit his post on Thursday.

The resignation and subsequent appointment of Fayez Tarawneh made many scramble to come up with the reasons behind the resignation and the appointment.

They should not look too far. The King made clear that the slow pace of reform cannot be tolerated, that change to the better is a priority and no procrastination is accepted.

News leaking out points to differences between the government and the Royal Court on the way to deal with the affairs of the country in the upcoming stage.

The King expressed keenness on seeing all reform-related legislation finalised during the current parliamentary session, which led him to extend it by two months, in a Royal Decree issued earlier Thursday.

Some officials said the prime minister wanted to start an extraordinary session after one month, rather than prolong the span of the current ordinary session, which was viewed as an attempt to buy time and delay the ongoing reform process.

Any delay in the life of Parliament means a longer lifespan for the government.

The government and Parliament were expected to finish work on all needed legislation, dissolve Parliament to pave the ground for new parliamentary elections. But, according to the Constitution, that would have meant having the government hand in its resignation. Thus, the procrastination was seen as an attempt to prolong the life of the government.

The King had to be firm because he had set holding elections as soon as possible as a top priority, to pave the ground for reaching a stage where Jordan will have parliamentary governments.

The reform process started and it is irreversible and unstoppable. His Majesty has always been critical of procrastination in dealing with pressing issues for the country. He made it clear that he will not allow anyone to derail the process of reform.

This process is not linked to any one person or group; it will continue to be the collective work of Jordanians in government and Parliament who have to serve fellow citizens and their country.

The main task of the new prime minister, a veteran politician who served as premier during an important point in Jordan's history, in the 1990s, will be to continue from where the outgoing government stopped.

The immediate task awaiting this prime minister-designate will be to hold consultations with various segments of society and to assemble a harmonious team that will be able to translate the Royal directives on the reform process into action on the ground without delay.

The process of effecting change will certainly go on, and the only direction Jordanians can look is forward.

© Jordan Times 2012

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