Jordan's King Abdullah appoints US-educated technocrat as PM

Jordan's King Abdullah has designated key palace aide Jafar Hassan as prime minister after the government resigned on Sunday, the royal court said, days after a parliamentary election in which the opposition made some gains in the kingdom.

The outgoing premier, Bisher Khasawneh, submitted his resignation to the king earlier on Sunday.

Under the kingdom's constitution, the government usually resigns after legislative elections. It is the king who appoints the prime minister, not parliament which has limited powers.

"King Abdullah on Sunday tasked Jafar Hassan with forming a new government," a palace statement said.

Hassan, now head of King Abdullah's office and a former planning minister, replaces Bisher Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace adviser who was appointed nearly four years ago, a royal court statement said.

In a letter published by the palace, King Abdullah called on Harvard-educated Hassan to "mobilise all efforts to support the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers" in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and "Holy Jerusalem."

He also called on the premier-designate to "work with all our energy through Arab and international movements to protect the Palestinian people, and stop the attacks and blatant violations of humanitarian principles and international law."

Khasawneh will stay on in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new cabinet, the statement said.

The outgoing prime minister had sought to drive reforms pushed by King Abdullah to help reverse a decade of sluggish growth, hovering at around 2%, that was worsened by the pandemic and conflict in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

In Tuesday's election Jordan's leading Islamist party, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest in parliament, winning 31 out of the 138 seats.

Nearly half of the country's population is of Palestinian origin. Khasawneh, 55, had headed the government since October 2020.

Jordan's parliament is bicameral. In addition to the elected parliament, there is also a senate with 69 members appointed by the monarch.

In a country where anti-Israel sentiment runs high, they have led some of the largest protests in the region in support of Hamas.

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.

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.

Agencies