Jordan’s King Abdullah has designated key palace aide Jafar Hassan as prime minister after the government resigned on Sunday, the royal court said
Recently, the Islamist opposition made some gains in the U.S.-allied kingdom after a parliamentary election.
New PM Replaces Bisher Khasawneh
Hassan, now head of King Abdullah’s office and a former planning minister, replaces Bisher Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace adviser.
Hassan, 56, had served as planning minister before becoming King Abdullah II’s chief of staff.
He replaces outgoing Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, who was appointed nearly four years ago.
Khasawneh will stay on in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new cabinet, the statement said.
Hassan Is A Technocrat
Harvard-educated Hassan is a widely respected technocrat.
In Hassan’s appointment letter, the king said democracy should be strengthened in the country.
Sluggish Growth
The outgoing prime minister had sought to drive reforms pushed by King Abdullah to help reverse a decade of sluggish growth.
The growth was hovering at around 2%, that was worsened by the pandemic and conflict in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
The traditional conservative establishment had long been blamed for obstructing a modernisation drive advocated by the Western-leaning monarch, fearing liberal reforms would erode their grip on power.
Key Task Ahead
Politicians say a key task ahead is accelerating IMF-guided reforms and reining in more than $50 billion in public debt.
The Muslim Brotherhood opposition and ideological allies of Palestinian militant group Hamas made significant gains in Tuesday’s election.
How The Islamists Fared?
The Islamists won 31 seats, the most since parliamentary life was revived in 1989 after decades of martial law.
In a country where anti-Israel sentiment runs high, they have led some of the largest protests in the region in support of Hamas.
Composition of The Parliament
Although the new composition of the 138-member parliament retains a pro-government majority, the more vocal Islamist-led opposition could challenge IMF-backed free-market reforms and foreign policy, diplomats and officials say.
Jordan’s Constitution
Under Jordan’s constitution, most powers still rest with the king, who appoints governments and can dissolve parliament.
The assembly can force a cabinet to resign by a vote of no confidence.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
