ammonnews.net

by Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN (The Jordan Times) — His Majesty King Abdullah’s speech at Mutah University on Sunday reaffirmed the fact that no one is above the law and that everyone is responsible for protecting the state, columnists said on Monday.

Commenting on the speech, which addressed pressing issues of national concern at the graduation ceremony of the 26th class of Mutah University’s Military Wing, observers said the state must enforce the law equally to assert its authority.

“From now on, it is unacceptable to be lax in implementing the law to ensure justice,” Al Rai columnist Isam Qadmani wrote in his column, stressing that the King’s directives need to be followed by the government’s active implementation of the law.

“The rule of law means it applies to all segments and classes without any favouritism or bullying, from a motorist who… crosses a red light… to those who break into institutions and cut the power and water supplies to factories,” Qadmani noted.

Jumana Ghunaimat, Al Ghad’s chief editor, said the King hit the nail on the head, when he said that “the feeling of lack of justice and equal opportunities leads to frustration... and subsequently violence”.

Corruption, favouritism and lack of equal opportunities increase the feeling of injustice and frustration, Ghunaimat wrote.

The Monarch also made it clear that the state’s institutions are also responsible for the cases of violence witnessed over the recent past through their leniency in enforcing the law, a matter that made some take matters into their own hands, disrupting order, she noted.

“The solution to end violence is not only through holding accountable those responsible for it, but also through alleviating poverty and unemployment, enforcing the law on all without any leniency and fostering good governance,” Ghunaimat added.

Al Rai Editor-in-Chief Samir Hiyari, agreed.

“Realising social justice and enforcing the law are pillars that should not be violated,” he wrote, noting that the Monarch also instructed state institutions to preserve the image of the country and its ability to protect citizens at anytime and anywhere.

The observers also focused on the King’s remarks on Jordanian society’s tribal roots and that tribes were never an obstacle to progress.

“Some claim that the reasons behind the displays of violence are tribal culture or structure. No, my fellow Jordanians. Our culture and authentic tribal structure does not accept violence,” His Majesty stressed.

Al Rai columnist Sultan Al Hattab said the King countered the arguments of those seeking to blame violence on the roots of Jordanian society and avoid a realistic diagnosis of its causes, which include the absence of justice and equal opportunities.

“Laxity in enforcing the law has led to a state of lawlessness and a slowdown in trials, with defendants failing to up at court, to the extent that there are now over 25,000 cases [currently being examined],” Hattab noted.

Stressing that the country’s institutions are the sole entities responsible for enforcing the law and that no entity should believe it is above the law, the columnists called for firm measures that prevent any violations against the country’s institutions and citizens’ properties and lives.

“Realising justice across the Kingdom and giving equal opportunities to all without any kind of discrimination… are fundamental for the country’s stability and security,” Mohammad Tal, Ad Dustour’s chief editor, said in his column.

All should reject violence and stand up to attempts to spread chaos to protect the future of the younger generation — the key asset of the country, Tal added.

In his speech, the Monarch referred to the Palestinian issue, making it clear that the Kingdom will not accept any solution to this issue that is at the expense of Jordan, Al Arab Al Yawm Chief Editor Nabil Ghishan wrote.

King Abdullah made it clear that Israeli attempts to promote an alternative homeland for Palestinians in Jordan are rejected and that the country will stand up to all attempts that harm its interests, said Ghishan.

To ensure that a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation is off the table, the disengagement of the West Bank and East Bank must be regulated further through legal and constitutional channels, Al Arab Al Yawm columnist Nahed Hattar wrote.

“All cases of legal and administrative overlapping must be resolved at all levels, or else the confederation project will remain a threat to Jordan,” Hattar warned.