Jordan monarch tasks Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz to lead caretaker government until November elections

King Abdullah of Jordan has assigned Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz to continue his role as caretaker until November parliament elections.
The monarch, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports, on Saturday accepted Razzaz’s resignation but asked him to remain as interim Premier.
The resignation is in line with the constitution after King Abdullah last week dissolved the legislature at the end of its four-year term.
The Middle East country will hold parliamentarian election on Nov. 10. The elections are very expected amid domestic economic concerns and the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.
King Abdullah reportedly in a letter to Razzaz accepting his resignation, said mistakes were made in the handling of the pandemic, echoing medical fears the health care system could come to the brink of collapse if the community spread gets out of control.
The country as of Saturday reported 14,749 infections with 88 deaths.
The impact of the pandemic has battered the economy expected to shrink by 6% this year. The country was recently rocked by massive protests of teachers after dissolving their opposition-led elected union last July and detained scores of dissidents for criticism on social media.
Razzaz was appointed in 2018 amid popular anti-government demonstrations decrying increase in taxes implemented by the state at the demand of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after taking loans from the Washington-based global financial institution.

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