Jordanian king listens to parliament's replies to Speech from the Throne

His Majesty King Abdullah’s Speech from the Throne that opened parliament's second ordinary session on November 2, is an authentic statement of Jordan's role towards regional and international developments as well as Jordanians' role in building their nation, Senate President Abdul Raouf Rawabdeh said on Sunday.
In the Senate's reply to the speech before the King, the head of the Senate (Upper House) said the path ahead is long, "but we are certain that, with your leadership, we will be able to cut down the time with clear, thorough, gradual and cumulative steps, with the aim to mature and absorb, not slow down or procrastinate."
During a ceremony held at the Raghadan Palace, Rawabdeh pledged that the Senate would remain a formidable and effective backer of the King's endeavors to fulfil his vision.
Addressing the King, he said the Senate recognised the enormous efforts exerted by Jordanians, foremost of which are the Hashemite monarchs, towards the Palestinian cause as a primary national Jordanian issue.
"We realize your relentless and unequalled efforts in explaining this issue at all regional and international forums. We highly appreciate Your Majesty's endeavors in defence of Jerusalem and its holy sites. Your candid and explicit stance in the recent crisis is only one example for anyone with a conscience who knows what is right and proclaims it without fear," he added.
Also in his reply, Lower House Speaker Atif Tarawneh said that the Speech from the Throne ushered in a "new parliamentary chapter in the democratic course that Jordan had charted under its Hashemite leadership."
"Your speech had described our domestic situation and diagnosed the regional and international realities with a lofty royal care to protect security and stability, pursue the reform march, deepen the democratic course and strengthen its parliamentary pillar in the service of the citizens so that the country is held in high esteem," he said at this occasion.
Tarawneh said that the House would continue to carry out its institutionalised parliamentary role based on the Constitution and will harness all available energies for the country's progress and for maintaining its high status through close cooperation with the executive and judicial authorities.
The House speaker also expressed pride in the internal Jordanian situation, which, he said, is the source of the country's strength and resilience, stressing that the national interest and the rule of law are "our best means to bolster national cohesion."
He said freedom of speech, constructive political participation and effective contribution to keep the country's progress on track are typical and indigenous feats of Jordanians as they carry out their tasks with full awareness and responsibility since all Jordanians are "loving brothers and advocates of harmony."
Tarawneh said Jordanians are capable of standing up to all manifestations of extremism and terrorism in order to achieve "a better future and a safe and stable life."