King Abdullah urges Jordanians to vote

King Abdullah of Jordan is urging all citizens to participate in the Jan. 23 parliamentary elections, saying it is the only way to change society. "If you want to change Jordan for the better, there is a chance, and that chance is the upcoming election, and there is a way, and that way is through the next Parliament," the king said in an address before some 3,000 people in Amman Tuesday. The elections will determine the formation of the next government and the future of political reform and socioeconomic policies, The Jordan Times reported. "This Jordanian state is not the accomplishment of a single individual, or a single entity or party. It is the cumulative achievement of every Jordanian across generations," Abdullah said. Elsewhere, the State Security Court released 18 anti-government activists on bail Wednesday but ordered 10 others to remain in custody, Ammonnews.net said. Abdullah had instructed Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour to release the activists arrested for anti-government slogans raised at protests across the country, referring to the slogans as regrettable, The Jordan Times said.