KING ABDULLAH'S MAY 26 NATIONAL DAY ADDRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003172

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2013
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM JO
SUBJECT: KING ABDULLAH'S MAY 26 NATIONAL DAY ADDRESS
FOCUSES ON UPCOMING ELECTIONS

REF: FBIS GMP20030525000102

Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).

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Summary
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1. (SBU) King Abdullah devoted most of his May 26 National
Day address to preparations for the upcoming Parliamentary
elections scheduled for June 17, only giving "hot button"
regional issues such as Palestine and Iraq scant mention at
the conclusion of his remarks.

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Political Development -- the Message from on High
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2. (SBU) The bulk of the King's May 26 address to the nation
focused on the theme of "political development" and the
responsibilities of all Jordanians to ensure that the
upcoming June 17 Parliamentary elections "promote our
democratic march." The King stated "the time has come to
intensify our efforts in order to accelerate the political
development process, reinvigorate the role of political
parties, and continue to preserve public freedoms . . .
alongside economic and social development."


3. (SBU) Turning more directly to the upcoming campaign, the
King called on "every brother and sister in this nation, to
perform their duties, and to practice their rights in
participating in these elections." He then listed a set of
personal characteristics that voters should look for in
making their selection: "The capable representative . . .
should be in possession of a certain measure of science,
knowledge and awareness, and integrity and genuine belonging
to this nation, one who places national interests above all
others, whether personal, partisan or factional. I have full
confidence in your perception that is never fooled by
glittering mottos, ideologies or ideas that have been
outdated and proven failures."

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Only Passing Mention of Palestine and Iraq
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4. (SBU) Only at the conclusion of his remarks did the King
make direct reference to regional issues, noting that "Jordan
has been and will remain, Allah willing, devoted to its Arab
nation . . . in the forefront of which is the Palestinian
cause. Based on this we will continue to support our
Palestinian brethren in their stance regarding the "roadmap,"
that shall lead to the establishment of their independent
Palestinian state, on Palestinian soil. As for Iraq, we will
do our utmost to ensure its territorial integrity . . .
sovereignty over their lands, their right to choose their own
independent leadership and future."

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Comment
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5. (C) A sampling of Embassy contacts noted that the most
notable aspect of the King's address was his almost complete
focus on political development, compared to previous messages
which centered more on economic and social issues. Virtually
all welcomed the King's emphasis on encouraging political
participation and democratization. That said, however, many
also commented that few Jordanians paid much attention to
this address. Instead, the talk in coffee shops and around
dinner tables this week was not of abstract notions of
political development, but rather about news of a more
concrete nature: that the government intends to raise prices
on many staple goods in the days ahead.


GNEHM