Ammon News -

Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh Monday concluded a series of meetings with parliamentary blocs and independent lawmakers ahead of a vote of confidence in his government in the Lower House.

He held three separate meetings today with the Al-Azm (determination) Bloc, headed by MP Khaled Abu Hassan, the Al-Masirah (March) Bloc headed by MP Taysir Krishan, and independent Lower House deputies.

During the meetings, which were attended by ministers, Khasawneh reaffirmed the government's commitment to "the spirit of cooperation and partnership, which was emphasized in the speech from the throne, to face the enormous challenges the country is facing," stressing checks and balances in line with the constitution.

The Premier said his government respects the legislative authority and its key oversight role, pledging that "this relationship will not be tainted by a critique, control, queries or questioning by lawmakers of the government or any of its members."

The citizen’s confidence in the government and state institutions can be enhanced through prudent measures, transparency and clarity, which are key matters to confidently enter the second centenary in the life of the Jordanian state, he said.

The Prime Minister spoke about the financial and economic hardship facing the Kingdom, pointing out that the treasury suffered an estimated financial deficit of 2.055 billion dinars, vowing that the government will not borrow one penny to finance current spending, and if it had to, it will be for the purpose of launching productive and investment projects to enhance development and create job opportunities.

The prime minister also said that the government is heading toward ending the Friday lockdown, but added that it depends on the epidemiological situation and the daily coronavirus swab tests' positivity rate, which saw a reduction recently, but is still high.

On regional politics, Khasawneh said Jordan will continue to uphold national constants towards the issue of Palestine, the central cause of the Arabs, to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people and their full and inalienable right to set up an independent, fully sovereign and viable state on the lines of the 4th of June, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"We are committed to a two-state solution, which safeguards the higher interests of the Jordanian state," he said, stressing that Jordan continues to stand against all practices and violations of the Israeli occupation authority and its attempts to alter the existing historical and legal status quo in Holy Jerusalem, based on the historical Hashemite custodianship of the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the city.

He hailed the Ministry of Waqf and Islamic Affairs' role in protecting the holy shrines from "an occupation that exists on the land", and resisting any change to its status.

The legislators pledged to work closely in a partnership with the government to translate into action the royal vision in the speech from the throne, and called implementing the government statement with working programmes and timelines to address challenges, top of which is the pandemic that hit all sectors.