MPs — time to get their act together

His Majesty King Abdullah’s met with the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament and heads of parliamentary committees on Wednesday to discuss ways to increase the effectiveness and proficiency of Parliament in addressing the challenges facing the country, from within and from without.

With a view to making the Lower House undertakings more efficient and prompt, the King called for the adoption of an internal code of conduct to regulate lawmakers’ performance.

It has been long sensed that the work of parliamentarians is seldom at its peak, and often hindered by procedural bottlenecks, lack of quorum and needless acrimony.

Citizens will not easily forgot unpleasant scenes under the Dome: repeated infighting, resort to violence and the threat to use guns to silence opponents.

Such is not behaviour becoming of people’s representatives to whom citizens look up to.

As such, the envisaged conduct of conduct would be essential to maintaining decorum and dignity in Parliament.

The King also expressed the wish to see a speedier legislative process when adopting urgently needed laws and by-laws. Two items of legislation, concerning decentralisation and municipalities, count among laws that have to be finalised soonest.

Other issues where the legislature needs to cooperate fully, and speedily, with the executive, are poverty and unemployment, which, King Abdullah stressed, remain among the most urgent priorities for the country, especially in these times when radicalism and terrorism are on the rise and the direct link between these social woes and extremism has been clearly determined.

Closer and more coordinated cooperation among all branches of government is, then, a national priority.

The country cannot afford to have disagreement among those governing, instead of harmonious work to deal with pressing national issues.

The region is in deep turmoil and Jordan has to be vigilant and work hard to maintain its safety and protect its borders.

Only cooperation, at all levels, can ensure that the Kingdom weathers these difficult times, spared the misfortunes that befell most countries in the region.