KING ABDULLAH LAYS OUT POLITICAL REFORM VISION FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006812 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2013 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KWMN ECON JO SUBJECT: KING ABDULLAH LAYS OUT POLITICAL REFORM VISION FOR NEW JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT REF: A. AMMAN 06767 ¶B. AMMAN 06728 Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) In a public letter to Prime Minister designate Faisal Fayez, King Abdullah laid out his general priorities for the new government, which he hopes will be more unified and proactive than its predecessor. Noting that political development is "at the top of these priorities," the King emphasized adherence to the rule of law, judicial reform, a free and responsible press, equality for women, and greater accountability and transparency. The King also stressed the need for continued economic reform to raise the economic growth rate and guarantee job opportunities for all Jordanians. The new Cabinet is expected to be announced on October 25. End Summary. -------------- "MINISTERS, NOT EMPLOYEES" -------------- ¶2. (U) Late on October 23, the Palace issued a public letter from King Abdullah to Prime Minister designate Faisal Fayez. In the letter charging Fayez with forming a new government, the King laid out his general expectations for the new Cabinet Ministers and his goals for Jordan's future. ¶3. (U) While the King's letter thanked the outgoing government of Prime Minister Ali Abul Ragheb for its service and achievements, it also noted that "its performance was sometimes characterized by weakness and lack of coordination between its members." The King expects the new government, on the other hand, to be "harmonious with itself" and marked by "unified aims" and "full commitment by all members" so that it will be "one working team." The letter further called for government decision making to be more rapid and less bureaucratic, "without any hesitation, apprehension, or delay." Moreover, "absolute transparency coupled with the principle of accountability and taking responsibility for performance" are to be the hallmark of the new government. ¶4. (C) The letter's critical comments reflect the Palace's view that the outgoing government was at times unorganized, slow to act, and lacking in a shared sense of purpose needed to carry out the King's goals. Prince Faisal Bin al Hussein recently told a visiting U.S. military official that the old government was not proactive enough and did not have a well organized plan to implement the Palace's agenda. The new government, according to Prince Faisal, will contain Ministers who are fully on board with the King's priorities and are more "programmatic," having a coherent plan of action to guide them. ¶5. (C) The reported consolidation of Cabinet portfolios and reduction in number of Ministers (see ref a) should help the King's stated goal of streamlining government decision making and expediting policy implementation. In an interview with the Financial Times, Bassem Awadallah, likely to retain his position as Minister of Planning, said that, "The King feels that this is a new phase. He wants to downsize government. The means of delivery and governance are going to change." -------------- POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT TAKES CENTER STAGE -------------- ¶6. (U) The King's letter envisions Jordan as a "firmly-rooted democratic Islamic Arab state that has a developed economy and is founded on the principles of justice, equality, and equal opportunities for everyone under the canopy of political pluralism, rule of law, and respect for rights." To achieve this vision, the letter says that political development will be "at the top" of the new government's priorities. Emphasizing the need for all parts of society to participate in this development, the letter specifically calls for the "active and real participation of Jordanian women . . . in all walks of life" and pledges to enable women to "exercise (their) full rights in society." ¶7. (U) The King's vision for political reform also includes "strong, unified national (political) parties" facilitated by a new political parties law, in addition to a more democratic elections law. Democracy is to be based on "dialogue" and "respect for the opinions of others" with "political openness to all sectors of society." It further encompasses "judicial reform that embodies honesty, neutrality, and protection of rights." ¶8. (U) With respect to the press, the letter asserts that the Jordanian media has "failed to convey our message and display our achievements to citizens, and remained passive recipients rather than influential players." To rectify this situation, it calls for "honest and responsible media that embody the country's conscience and identity and enjoys freedom of expression and diversity in opinion." -------------- MORE ECONOMIC REFORMS STILL NEEDED -------------- ¶9. (U) In addition to political reforms, the King's vision for Jordan outlined in his letter recognizes economic development as a "core" priority. While recognizing that some economic difficulties lay outside of government control, the letter states that "it is time that we address domestic reasons that impede achievement of economic development." This in turn requires economic and administrative reforms based on Jordan's competitive advantages and which "reward the hardworking, spur the reluctant and cast out the corrupt." The letter calls for "attracting investments" and "modernizing laws and regulations," as well as vocational and professional training. -------------- AND IN PASSING . . . -------------- ¶10. (U) The King's letter only offers a few statements on issues outside of the economy and political/democratic development. There is only one reference to Parliament: "We aspire for a government that cooperates with Parliament and coordinates with our legislative authority to help boost its performance and monitoring function." With respect to foreign policy, the letter describes a government that will be "a supportive force for the brotherly Palestinian people with the aim of helping them achieve their goals of liberation and independence." It similarly calls for "real support for the brotherly Iraq in its pursuit of its free and independent will" and seeks the bolstering of "joint Arab action." -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶11. (C) King Abdullah's letter to Fayez is heavy on broad concepts and short on details. It is a flowery, idealized vision of the future, not a presentation of specific initiatives. Still, it is noteworthy in that it sets out ambitious goals that embrace many of the values (e.g., civil liberties and economic freedom) that post is working to promote in Jordan. The word "transparency" is littered throughout the document, signaling that the King may be serious about holding the government more accountable for its performance to the public. References to freedom of the press, however, always speak of the need for "responsible media," suggesting that the King does not seek a completely unfettered press. Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. GNEHM