Long live the king

Jordanians have reacted with feelings of joy, tinged with concern, following King Hussein's dramatic appearance on television to confirm ...

Jordanians have reacted with feelings of joy, tinged with concern, following King Hussein8217;s dramatic appearance on television to confirm that he was suffering from B-cell lymphoma, a form of cancer but that it is, he says, curable. The 63-year-old monarch, the Middle East8217;s longest serving head of state, said he was in 8220;excellent condition8221;, and no longer suffering from bouts of high temperature after his treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

8220;I will overcome this disease to win, just as I have won other battles,8221; Hussein said, in a 15-minute address to the nation. Thousands of Jordanians watched the televised speech from their homes; many others sitting in cafes and other public buildings burst into spontaneous applause.

But doubts remain over how much longer the king can survive the cancer that was first diagnosed five years ago. When he stays at the Mayo Clinic, which he is expected to continue to visit for chemotherapy, Jordan8217;s de facto ruler is his younger brother, Crown Prince Hassan, whohas been the legally appointed heir since 1965. An older brother, Muhammad, is rarely seen in public and Jordanians say his erratic behaviour and need for medical attention have effectively ruled him out of the succession stakes.

The bond between Oxford-educated Hassan and the king is so strong that even in the event of Hussein8217;s sudden death, Amman is not likely to suffer from the effects of a power vacuum. On the other hand, Jordanians point out, Hassan lacks the charisma and personal popularity that Hussein has always enjoyed since gaining the throne in 1952.

Yet among senior members of the royal family there is a consensus that Hassan is the only candidate worthy of stepping into his brother8217;s shoes. His real problems are likely to start much later 8212; with Hussein8217;s sons.

The oldest, 36-year-old Prince Abdullah, has been ruled out as a future king because his mother is English. Another son, Prince Ali, 23, is also considered ineligible because his late mother, Queen Alia, was not from the Hashemitefamily of the Prophet Mohammed. King Hussein has always boasted of his family8217;s direct descent from the Prophet, and Jordanians say it would be unthinkable for any future monarch not to have trace the Prophet8217;s blood in both sides of his ancestry. That is why 18-year-old Prince Hamza, Hussein8217;s son by his fourth and latest wife, American-born Queen Noor, is also considered inappropriate. But when Hamza celebrated his 18th birthday earlier this year, his father recalled his own succession to the throne at that young age. Jordanians interpreted that as a hint that Hamza would play an important future role in the affairs of his country.

So when he does take over, Hassan will have to take into account the ambitions of his own children, as well as his nephews, for a safe and orderly transition.

OBSERVER NEWS SERVICE