Khaberni - Attention is directed towards the second ordinary session of the House of Representatives, which will be inaugurated by His Majesty King Abdullah II next Sunday, after delivering the Speech from the Throne.
According to observers, the second ordinary session of the House of Representatives represents a real opportunity to activate the supervisory and legislative role of the Council, especially in the areas of political, economic, and administrative modernization, where the session gains special importance.
Observers stated that the second ordinary session will witness the discussion of a package of law projects related to the three modernization paths: political, economic, and administrative. These discussions will contribute to advancing national efforts to achieve the desired reforms, in line with the royal vision.
Serious preparation by the members of the House of Representatives is of great importance, whether through deep reading of the proposed legal texts or through effective communication with the public to gauge public opinion.
They called on the parliamentary blocs and political parties to formulate unified positions on the projects, especially those affecting the daily life of citizens, ensuring that discussions are fruitful and effective.
They pointed out that the upcoming session will be a real test of the Council's ability to positively interact with the reform phase the kingdom is undergoing, requiring the Council to be a platform for proposing constructive solutions and legislative initiatives, rather than just a venue for political rivalry or position-taking.
Among the priorities of the upcoming session will be to proceed with the administrative modernization file, particularly through enhancing oversight over public sector reform, where it is important for the Council to contribute to improving the efficiency of public services and monitoring the performance of ministries and government institutions, ensuring that executive performance aligns with the aspirations of citizens and the state's goals in improving living standards and providing more effective services.
Monitoring the implementation of the economic modernization vision is one of the council's top priorities in the upcoming session, as this vision represents a national project transcending governments, requiring a deeper and more effective supervisory role by the deputies.
Observers stressed the importance of the council working to measure economic performance indicators and review adopted government policies to ensure their alignment with the outputs of the economic vision and the needs of the citizens, as the council's efforts will continue in supporting the political modernization track, through reviewing related legislation and expanding the base of political participation, which contributes to enhancing citizens' confidence in the political process.
They confirmed that it will be necessary for the council to ensure broader participation of individuals and community sectors in the decision-making process, which enhances transparency and accountability in governmental work.
Legislative milestone
The first ordinary session of the House of Representatives was an important legislative milestone characterized by a momentum in discussing and approving strategic laws affecting the core of economic, social, and institutional reforms, as the council held 16 legislative sessions during which 15 laws and one amended law project out of 18 law projects referred by the government, were approved, in addition to approving two reports of the Audit Bureau for the years 2022 and 2023.
At the level of specialized parliamentary work, the committees held 329 meetings where legislative and supervisory files were discussed, and carried out 76 activities and field visits outside the council, in the context of their continuous monitoring of public issues and their communication with executive bodies and local communities.
On the legislative achievement front, the council approved the General Electricity Law, which established a qualitative transformation towards a competitive market and a low-carbon economy, the General Statistics Law, which institutionalized official data, and the amended Customs Law, which moved customs work to higher levels of efficiency and governance.
Supervisory activity
The first ordinary session witnessed supervisory activity, representing a qualitative shift in activating parliamentary oversight tools and entrenching the principle of constitutional accountability, with deputies submitting 983 supervisory questions, 809 of which were responded to with a high response rate, while no answers were received for only 174 questions, and 8 questions were withdrawn for various reasons.
64 supervisory questions were included on the agenda, of which 44 were actually discussed under the dome.
As for interrogations, the deputies submitted 13 interrogations, and the government responded to 5 of them.
The "proposal by desire" tool witnessed noticeable growth in terms of activation, with the deputies submitting 41 proposals by desire, and the council advanced 30 law proposals referred to the relevant committees for further study.
Regarding parliamentary memos, there were 49 memos, 33 of which received responses, indicating the level of interaction and impact achieved by the council in communicating with the executive authority,
During the first ordinary session, no petitions or complaints or general discussion requests were submitted.
Permanent committees
Since the start of the first ordinary session, the permanent committees were formed as per the regulations established in the internal system, ensuring a balanced distribution among the members of the deputies, and guaranteeing the participation of parliamentary blocs in various positions.
During the first session, the committee consistently worked across 329 meetings, discussing law projects referred by the government, following up on reports from the supervisory bodies, along with organizing 76 activities and field visits outside the council.
