Jordan PM submits resignation days after election

SALIM MATRAMKOT/ AFP

Jordan's Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh submitted his resignation on Sunday less than week after a parliamentary election that saw some gains for the opposition.

Jaafar Hassan, now head of King Abdullah's office and a former planning minister, is expected to replace Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace advisor who was appointed nearly four years ago, the officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Hassan will face the challenges of mitigating the impact of the Gaza war on the kingdom's economy, hard hit by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.

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

The Muslim Brotherhood opposition and ideological allies of Hamas made significant gains in Tuesday's election, boosted by anger over Israel's war in Gaza.

The new composition of the 138 member parliament retains a pro-government majority, but a more vocal Islamist-led opposition could challenge IMF-led free-market reforms and foreign policy.

More from International news

News

  • H.H. Sheikh Hamdan approves Umm Suqeim Beach master plan

    His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai has approved a AED500 million development plan to transform Umm Suqeim Beach into a major new public waterfront destination.

  • UAE FM condemns Israel’s repeated violations of ceasefire in Gaza

    The UAE's Foreign Minister joined with the Foreign Ministers of Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, on Sunday, to strongly condemn Israel’s repeated violations of the ceasefire in Gaza which have resulted in the killing, and injuring of more than a thousand Palestinians.

  • UAE, World Food Programme sign deal to support Sudan aid efforts

    The United Arab Emirates has signed a cooperation agreement between the UAE Aid Agency and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support humanitarian response efforts in Sudan.