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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Full Focus Photos of the week Our top photos from the past week. Full Article Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Powerful quakes rattle New Zealand city 12:48am EDT Texas governor addresses L.A. anti-abortion rally 12 Jun 2011 Mavericks beat Heat to win first championship 2:25am EDT Filipino teen declared world's shortest man 12 Jun 2011 Syrian forces take border town as inhabitants flee | 12 Jun 2011 Discussed 122 Alabama governor signs nation’s toughest immigration law 99 Obama weighs new steps to boost jobs 77 U.S. debt default unimaginable, creditors say Watched Obama resigns from church Mon, Jun 2 2008 Battles rage on the outskirts of Misrata Sun, Jun 12 2011 Bodypainters apply their skill Mon, Jul 19 2010 Jordan King promises to speed democratic reforms Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Syria intensifies assault on anti-Assad protesters Fri, Jun 3 2011 Syrian forces kill 13 in besieged town: activists Thu, Jun 2 2011 Yemen fighting intensifies, envoy Brennan in talks Thu, Jun 2 2011 Explosions and street fighting grip Yemen capital Wed, Jun 1 2011 Syria's Assad grants amnesty as 5 killed in crackdown Tue, May 31 2011 Analysis & Opinion A slow-burning revolution in Pakistan In defense of free market fundamentalism Related Topics World » A Jordanian girl chants next to a picture of Jordan's King Abdullah during celebrations of the 12th anniversary of King Abdullah's accession to the throne in Amman June 11, 2011. Credit: Reuters/Muhammad Hamed By Suleiman al-Khalidi AMMAN | Sun Jun 12, 2011 5:11pm EDT AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan's King Abdullah said on Sunday he was committed to pushing ahead with democratic reforms, but believed street pressure for change was a recipe for chaos. The monarch, speaking in a televised speech marking his 12 years as ruler and ninety years of the state's creation, said he backed a new electoral law proposed by a government-appointed panel that would allow for a cabinet to be elected by a parliamentary majority rather than being chosen by him. "We hope these recommendations ensure a modern electoral law that leads to a parliament that is representative of all Jordanians," he said. Parliaments are currently elected under laws that ensure a pliant pro-government assembly composed of tribal loyalists. The Islamist-led opposition has expressed disappointment over the limited nature of the reforms proposed by the committee that they boycotted and which came after weeks of street protests earlier this year calling for political changes. The proposals unveiled last week keep intact a gross underrepresentation of Jordan's cities, mostly inhabited by Palestinians, to ensure a dominance by rural, sparsely populated tribal areas over the large cities, including the capital which have long been the opposition Islamist strongholds. "As we witness the changes in the region, this demands making a difference between the required democratic changes and between the dangers of chaos and (fitna) sedition on the other," he said. The Hashemite monarchy is viewed as an arbiter among feuding tribes and a unifying force that holds together the country's two main competing groups, East Bank native Jordanians and their countrymen of Palestinian origin. The monarch has faced pressures for reforms by a broad calls from the Islamists, the country's largest political force to leftists and tribal figures, to relinquish his extensive powers, ranging from appointing cabinets to dissolving parliament. Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, the largest political party, and liberal politicians alongside opposition tribal figures say political freedoms in Jordan have been eroded in recent years and accuse the authorities of resisting change. The monarch defended his reformist credentials since he ascended the throne in 1999, saying he had long pushed for reforms which he has long accused vested interests within the establishment of derailing. King Abdullah said he wanted a empowered legislature and amendments to the constitution that would usher greater political rights but could not accept reform pressures from unnamed radical groups that agitated through street protests. "Our reformist vision is through speedy reforms that respond to our peoples desires... away from recourse to the street and the absence of reason," he said. The kingdom has not seen the turmoil that has spread across the Arab world since January, leading to the overthrow of long-time regimes in Tunisia and Egypt as well as clashes in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. (Writing by Suleimen al-Khalidi; Editing Matthew Jones) World Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language, all capital letters or appear to be spam, and we review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. 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