King meets House speaker, parliamentary bloc leaders

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday stressed the key role of the House of Representatives in oversight and legislation, expressing confidence in the House's sense of responsibility in undertaking its mandate to enhance public trust in Parliament.

At a meeting with House Speaker Abdul Monem Odat and leaders of parliamentary blocs at Al Husseiniya Palace, King Abdullah commended ongoing cooperation between the legislative and executive branches, urging continued coordination among state institutions, according to a Royal Court statement.

His Majesty reaffirmed the importance of developing and activating the work of blocs based on well-defined platforms, in order to become the nucleus for platform-based parties.

The King urged continued outreach to the public, noting the importance of administrative reform to improve services provided to citizens and remove obstacles to investment.

For his part, House Speaker Odat stressed the Chamber’s commitment to bolstering the public's confidence in Parliament, noting ongoing cooperation with the government, especially in terms of reviewing legislation that regulates political life, in line with Royal directives.

Bloc leaders said they are keen on developing the work of blocs based on national platforms rather than populism, adding that the current Parliament is the first in Jordan's second centennial, which brings added weight and responsibilities to continue development and build on achievements.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi and Adviser to His Majesty for Policies Haifa Khraisha attended the meeting.