Within a timeframe of 18 months, Jordanians have seen the reins of the government pass through the hands of three prime ministers. The recent one took place when Mr. Awn Khasawneh who has spent barely 6 months in office presented his resignation to King Abdullah II who accepted it. Official reasons are yet to be announced.
Mr. Khasawaneh, a judge at the International Court of Justice, was to oversee the social and political reforms of the country when a vote of confidence was accorded to his government to salvage the country from the violent protests some of its neighbors were experiencing in the region.
It is said that his resignation was due to the King extending the parliament’s session even though he has repeatedly promised on several occasions that the parliamentary elections will be held this year. A minister disclosed that the resignation was a reaction to the extension of a parliament which criticizes Mr. Khasawneh’s proposed new electoral law. The proposed law abandoned the one-person one-vote system, limited the allocation of seats to political parties and introduces a minimum number of women parliamentarians.
The king has called upon someone familiar with the post in the name of Fayez Tarawneh to form a new government and take over affairs. He was a prime minister and head of the royal court during King Hussein’s era, king Abdallah II father.
Protests are still going on since they started in January 2011 but are now at a low scale. Demands for economic reforms and the curbing of corruption are still high on the agenda.
Jordan: The 4th prime minister within 2 years
