Jordanian king dismisses government, appoints new PM

Jordanian king dismisses government, appoints new PM

2011-10-18 19:51:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

AMMAN (BNO NEWS) -- Jordanian King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of Marouf Bakhit's Government and appointed a prominent judge from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the new prime minister, local media reported.

King Abdullah II asked Awn Al-khasawneh to form a new government after Bakhit submitted his resignation during his second term in office which he had held since February 1. Khasawneh, who worked as chief of the royal court between 1996 and 1998, said in his first statement to the press that he left his post with the ICJ to return to Jordan "to serve the country in this crucial time," Ammon News reported.

He added that it is still early to make a decision to postpone or hold the municipal elections on time since the cabinet has not yet been formed. Khasawneh, who holds a Master's degree in international law from Cambridge University, said he is expecting to conclude forming his ministerial team by early next week.

Khasawneh told Ammon News that his government's priority will be to "restore people's confidence in governments and the political regime by extending the arm and heart to all segments of society, treating people based on justice."

Jordanian protesters had been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit's government for its failure to carry out political reforms. They have also been demanding the trial of corrupt officials and have stressed that they will continue protesting until they witness "real and tangible measures" to combat corruption.

In July, Jordan's King Abdullah II issued a decree approving a cabinet reshuffle in Bakhit's government. This was the first reshuffle of the cabinet, which was formed in February after protesters called for the resignation of then-current prime minister Samir Rifai and his government. The previous government was blamed for price hikes, excessive taxation, unemployment, and difficult economic conditions.

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