The day of King Abdullah's accession to the throne (09/06)

On June 9, Jordan celebrates a public holiday that has official status and provides citizens with a day off, – the Day of the Accession of King Abdullah (Arabic). عيد الجلوس, Eid al-Julus).

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or Jordan – is a state with a form of government called a dualistic monarchy. During its relatively small history of independent existence, Jordan has had four monarchs, however, they all belong to the same family (Hashimite dynasty), and the name of the family forms the full name of the state. Nowadays, there are only 3 states left in the world in which a dynastic surname forms the name of the country. In addition to Jordan, such states are Saudi Arabia and the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The exclusive power of the monarch (king) is limited by the Constitution and constitutional acts. In the legislative sphere, the power of the monarch is limited to the activities of parliament. However, in fact, royal powers allow the monarch repeated opportunities to dissolve parliament, as well as the right of veto. He is in charge of the process of forming the Council of Ministers, appointing judges, and commanding the armed forces.

It is believed that the power of the monarch is based on sacred institutions. For Jordan, where the state religion is Islam, this principle of the sacredness of royal power is supported by the fact that the Hashemite dynasty traces its lineage to Hashim –, the great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad. That is, from the point of view of religion, the ruling dynasty is absolutely legitimate, and the Hashemite clan is one of the oldest in the Middle East.

The country's independence in 1946 and the active participation of the first King of Jordan, Abdullah, in the establishment of this independence only strengthened the population's faith in the capabilities and abilities of the Hashemites to govern the country fairly and effectively for the benefit of the people and in accordance with traditional religious and social ideas. Further history also confirmed that the Hashemites were quite successful in combining traditional ways of life in the country with modern development trends.

On June 9, 1999, the fourth monarch, – Abdullah II bin Hussein al-Hashimi, ascended the throne of Jordan. Initially, his father – King Hussein I ibn Talal planned to transfer the throne to his brother, but shortly before his death he changed his mind, which brought the current ruling monarch of Jordan to the throne. Before his coronation, Abdullah ibn Hussein made a military career, receiving higher military education and experience in commanding and reorganizing the armed forces while his father was still on the throne. In addition to his professional military education, Abdullah ibn Hussein received diplomatic education and education in the field of political science.

Abdullah II ascended the throne at the age of 37. Having been in command positions in the army for a long time, the new monarch was popular among the military. This fact, along with the alleged quarrel between King Hussein and his brother, who was supposed to take the throne after the death of the king, is called one of the most compelling reasons for the change in the will of the monarch and what he called the heir of his eldest son.

After the coronation, the new king began immediate socio-economic transformations, ensured the influx of foreign capital into the country's economy, and carried out partial privatization of state-owned enterprises. In general, the period when King Abdullah II was in power is characterized by an increase in the economic indicators of the state and a colossal jump in the level of education of the population. All this cannot but affect the growing popularity of the monarch among the general population.

The Jordanian monarch – is not only active, but also a versatile person. He is highly qualified to fly combat aircraft and personally flew one of the aircraft that bombed militant positions in Syria. In addition, Abdullah II is a professional diver and parachutist. In accordance with one of the national traditions, the monarch is fond of collecting bladed weapons.

Abdullah II's flexibility as a politician allowed him to significantly limit the influence of the radical opposition in the country, as well as to overcome the economic crisis of 2008 and its consequences quite gently.

The date of accession to the throne has become a public holiday for Jordanians, who honor their rulers and appreciate their desire to govern the country for the benefit of the people.

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