Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – His Majesty King Abdullah II said on Sunday that people need clarity, openness and frankness on all issues and queries, calling for referring the corrupt to justice without hesitation or discrimination and warning that "no one is above the law or have impunity".

In a Royal Court meeting with heads of executive, legislative and judicial authorities and representatives of civil society institutions, the king urged the government to draw up a "charter or mechanism" to promote national integrity by binding all parties to carry out their tasks without an overlap of mandates or duplication of duties.

"The citizen is fed up with words and slogans and wants assurance that his rights are safeguarded, the corrupt and negligent are punished and that a citizen's relationship with the state's institutions is based on justice and equal opportunity," the King told the meeting.

"Justice is the essence of governance. The absence of justice in any society means lost belonging and trust between the citizen and state institutions and disrespect of the law," he cautioned.

His Majesty emphasized the importance of cooperation among all surveillance agencies and enactment of world-class accountability methods based on transparent, fair and objective criteria.

The king put special emphasis on the Lower House's oversight role to promote public trust in the legislature and the national fairness system, adding: "Had there been a suspicious instance of corruption or any grievance by any citizen, the judiciary should only have its say in such affairs." He said he fully trusted the judiciary, calling for speeding up a trial's proceedings, which, he said, sometimes take a slow pace, through "devising new effective mechanisms." King Abdullah hailed the media's role to achieving transparency, open up channels between government agencies and citizens, detect the weaknesses and unveil corruption, calling for an objective, credible and professional national media.

Commenting on recent incidents that saw citizens blocking roads with barricades as a way of protest, the King said that the state’s prestige and public property must be protected, stressing that such issues should be settled legally, adding that citizens are entitled to protection against infringement of their rights.

Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh called for closer cooperation between surveillance agencies with emphasis on parliament's role in the fight against corruption according to world-class standards, stressing that combating graft must not turn into a means to settle scores.

He said the government would provide anti-corruption agencies with specialized cadres, particularly the Anti-Corruption Commission and the judiciary, and legislation to help them to fully carry out their role.

The premier said his government, in cooperation with parliament, would introduce legislation to regulate online news outlets that strikes a balance between freedom of speech and protecting citizens' rights and reputations.

He also reiterated a commitment to protect free and peaceful popular protests, but vowed to hit hard at anyone trying to attack citizens or infringe public order.


*Petra