Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN6812
2003-10-23 15:50:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

KING ABDULLAH LAYS OUT POLITICAL REFORM VISION FOR

Tags:  PGOV PREL KDEM KWMN ECON JO 
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231550Z Oct 03
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
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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
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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.

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"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."

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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."

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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.

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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."

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COMMENT
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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