Jordanian monarch attends army celebration

King Abdullah attends army celebration of national occasions Amman – Osama al-Rantissi Jordan\'s reigning monarch, King Abdullah II, on Sunday attended a military ceremony marking the anniversaries of Army Day, the Great Arab Revolt and the King\'s accession to the throne.
Upon arrival at the celebration site, an artillery unit fired a 21-gun salute, welcoming the King who was accompanied by Queen Rania al-Abdullah. The King, also the supreme commander of the armed forces, was received by chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt General Meshal Mohammed al-Zabin.
The ceremony got underway with a fly-over by a number of Royal Air Force helicopters, carrying the flags of the Kingdom, the Great Arab Revolt, and the army. The celebration also included an air show by a fighter squadron.
Also attending the celebrations were a number of royal family members, the prime minister and defence minister, the acting Senate president, the Lower House speaker, the Royal Court chief, and other top civic, security and military officials.
During a visit to the prime ministry and a meeting with Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh, the King reiterated that achieving comprehensive reform, particularly economic reform, was the top priority.
He said measures should be taken to address the difficult conditions facing the Kingdom through providing more job opportunities and reducing poverty and unemployment, a Royal Court statement said.
The monarch added that the government must follow up the conditions of special education centres, providing care to people with disabilities to ensure that they have the proper facilities after a recent scandal exposed rampant abuse in certain institutions.
The King reiterated the importance of supporting the Governorates Development Fund (GDF), which will help balance the distribution of development projects and will contribute towards creating job opportunities through projects with the support of local communities.
Political reform was also on the agenda.
Constitutional amendments endorsed last September provided for the enactment of several new laws governing Jordan’s political life. The Independent Elections Commission has been established as recommended, and a law related to political parties and constitutional courts would be reformed.
A debate is under way at parliament to come up with an elections law that meets the acceptance of the majority of Jordanians, in light of differing opinions on how this key law should look like.
The premier briefed the king on plans to utilise the country\'s diversified energy resources, and intensify the fight against corruption.
Also on Sunday, Tarawneh said the government would continue to support monitoring and auditing institutions to enable them to perform their role in combating corruption and safeguarding public money.
During the King\'s meeting with Tarawneh, he also directed the government to take measures to guarantee the availability of basic commodities during Ramadan and protect citizens from any price hikes.