Ammon News - By Faisal Al Rfouh

Prime Minister Samir Rifai faces the difficult task of reinvigorating Jordan’s economy and continuing the momentum of political reforms.

When Nader Dahabi assumed office, he was assigned two missions: to enhance Jordan’s standing in the Arab world, with an emphasis on dealing with the Palestinian problem, and to carry forward the economic reforms agenda envisioned by His Majesty King Abdullah.

The tasks before the new prime minister are enormous and challenging. The political agenda, as decreed by His Majesty in his letter of designation, calls upon the new Cabinet “to take the necessary steps, including amending the Elections Law and improving electoral procedures, to ensure that the next elections are a qualitative leap in our development and modernisation process”.

The decision to hold parliamentary elections in the last quarter of 2010 seems to be taken with a view to completing the process of political reforms during the intervening period.

According to media reports, parliamentary elections have been delayed to permit the government to endorse a decentralisation plan that will allow the country’s 12 governorates to be represented by councils, so that parliamentarians can focus on their legislative job. These councils will reportedly act as legislative authorities with a mandate to implement development projects.

Elevating Jordan’s standing in the Arab world is a responsibility of every government, irrespective of who heads the government, because it is a national cause and a sacred duty of every citizen.

Undoubtedly, the Palestinian problem has been evading a final solution owing to Israeli intransigence to vacate occupied Arab territories and to lack of unity among Palestinian factions. However, Jordan has always played a constructive role, in consonance with its cherished national ideals, and rendered and will continue to extend full support to the people of Palestine.

The new government is expected to face no problems in dealing with the Palestine issue, because Jordan has a very clear, consistent and well-defined policy towards the people of Palestine. Jordan’s open-market economy is closely linked to regional geopolitics and the international economy, which is now showing signs of recovery.

The current budgetary deficit and inflation afflicting the Jordanian economy will be curbed once regional developments become more conducive and international economic recovery spurs increased aid flow and investment into the country.

Political stability and economic prosperity go hand in hand and one is unattainable without the other.

Close cooperation between the executive and legislative authorities is essential for the smooth functioning of administration and domestic stability.

The new Parliament, after elections, should extend its full cooperation to the Rifai government in implementing socio-economic and political reforms, which are the need of the hour and whose passage requires full cooperation of one and all. One can expect that the new government headed by Rifai will be able to live up to the expectations and aspirations of the people of Jordan.

The writer, former minister of culture, professor and chairman of the Political Science Department, University of Jordan, is president of the Orient Centre for Studies and Cultural Dialogue. alrfouh@hotmail.com. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times