However, the Minister of State for Media Affairs Taher Adwan said that ”a friction” did take place between some citizens and policemen during the scramble of people to shake hands with the king.

”The visit was extremely successful,” Adwan was quoted as saying by the official Petra news agency.

According to witnesses, pro-democracy activists clashed with policemen during the visit because they barred their representatives from meeting the monarch to relay to him their demands for political and economic reforms.

The angry activists belonged to the Popular Mobility group, which later issued a statement expressing determination to go ahead with protests against ”corrupts and corruption” and for political reform, including the formation of a new national reformist government.

They also criticized the interference in politics by the security forces.

During a speech marking the 12th anniversary of his accession to the throne on Sunday, Abdallah assured the public of his intention to go ahead with political reforms.

”We are looking forward to a mechanism that leads to parliaments with effective representation of political parties and the formation of governments that enjoy majorities at the parliament,” Abdallah said.

However, he warned that the political reform ”will not be monopolized by any group or be subject to any conditions by any party, but rather will be based on compromise.”