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Positive spirit should prevail

Oct 15,2018 - Last updated at Oct 15,2018

In his Speech from the Throne opening the third ordinary session of Parliament, His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday urged Jordanians to join efforts to work constructively to build a better Jordan.

Noting that he senses citizens’ dissatisfaction with the manner in which the government is addressing challenges, the King added that the process of development, as in other countries, was marred by mistakes that should be resolved and prevented from happening again.

These mistakes should not impede the country’s development process, which, also compared to other countries, has come a long way despite the very limited resources and the grave challenges facing Jordan and the region as a whole.

Indeed there are problems and mistakes that state authorities and the people should work to address, including lack of trust in government institutions as well as corruption, which His Majesty said Jordan is capable of tackling by strengthening, rather than weakening, state institutions, enhancing the role of oversight bodies and ensuring accountability. In addition, the King said, forging ahead with the e-government project would enhance the principle of transparency as well as accountability by helping maintain an ongoing assessment of the performance of public institutions to ensure efficiency and integrity.

But while also being keen to fight corruption, people should be cautious of the rumour mill working to destroy public morale and trust in the state as a whole and its institutions. There are proper channels to fight corruption other than spreading rumours through social media and slandering and defaming others. The authorities should deal with those who break the law in a firm, but just, manner. There are laws to deal with slander, libel and defamation and there are laws to deal with corruption. But accusations of corruption should be substantiated.

People seeking cheap publicity online, by harming the country’s reputation and others, should be reminded that the country enjoys a good, advanced legal system, as His Majesty said, reminding the people that nations are not built on “cynicism and self-doubt” or by denying achievements. Jordanians to be fair to their country and its tremendous achievements which were accomplished against all odds.

Jordanians have to be looking forward to build a better Jordan while striving to address the mistakes of the past and helping spread a positive spirit in the country.

As a state of law, Jordan’s citizens as a whole should line up behind their leadership to disallow any selective implementation of the law, which should be, above all, to ensure that all Jordanians have equal right to justice.

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