Arab states must initiate reforms: Jordanian king's warning
SHUNEH, May 17: Jordan's King Abdullah warned Arab governments on Monday they could face civil unrest if they failed to deliver on promises to reform.
"We have, I hope, a very strong declaration from the Arab summit coming up next week," he told reporters, referring to the Arab meeting of heads of state due to open on May 22 in Tunisia with reforms high on the agenda.
"And then we will have to figure out how do you implement what you said. "The countries that say something would have to deliver.... if they don't, I think there will be internal problems with people in those countries asking for those reforms," he added.
The king was speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at this Dead Sea resort. Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher said the changes to be adopted by the Arab summit in the Tunisian capital included political reforms and women's empowerment.
Most Arab states have rejected the US administration's "Greater Middle East Initiative" for democratic reforms as interference in their internal affairs. The US initiative, to be presented at a June 8-10 summit of the G8 in the United States, did however put pressure on Arab states to put reform on the agenda of their upcoming summit in Tunis.
Arab diplomats have said the summit will likely approve a declaration confirming the need to promote reforms, while allowing each of the Arab League's 22 members to change at their own pace.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell proposed here on Sunday the establishment of a "forum" grouping the Group of Eight industrialized nations and Arab states to encourage reform in the Arab world.
The United States has been emphasizing the need for democratic and economic reforms in the Arab world, seeing in them remedies to the frustration and repression seen as the root of terrorism.
But Arab states say the main causes of extremism and terrorism are Israel's occupation of Arab land, US support of the Jewish state and the invasion of Iraq.
WORKING PAPER: The Arab League (AL) chief said on Monday the Tunis summit would discuss a working paper on Arab reform as well as proposals to revamp the charter of the League, its secretary general Amr Mussa said here on Monday.
"The train of reform has taken off," Mr Mussa told a group of journalists on the sidelines of the WEF meeting. "A working paper on reform has been drafted and it will be on the agenda of the Arab summit," Mr Mussa said, stressing that all Arab countries have agreed on the need to make changes but at their own individual pace.
"There are no major differences between Arab countries on the issue of reform. There are some contradictory views on the details and the schedule" for launching reform, Mr Mussa said.
"Each country has its own priorities but the general framework has been agreed upon and the working paper that will be presented to the summit will deal with transparency, political reform, the independence of the judiciary and women's rights."
A project based on Mr Mussa's own ideas to reform the Arab League charters will also be submitted to Arab leaders at the summit, calling for "the creation of an Arab parliament, an Arab court of justice and an Arab security authority", he added.
"There will also be a proposal to change the voting system at the Arab League from 'a unanimous vote to a majority vote'," Mr Mussa said. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict as well as the situation in Iraq will also be on the agenda, he added.
But Mr Mussa insisted that a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict will not be considered a precondition to forging ahead with democratic and economic reforms, adding however that an end to the crisis could bolster the chances of reform. -AFP
