Jordan's King Abdullah names Jafar Hassan as new PM

Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday appointed his chief-of-staff Jafar Hassan as the country's new prime minister.

Hassan is charged with forming a government after Jordan's parliamentary election, which was characterized by low turnout and major gains by the Islamist opposition.

What did the Jordan's royal palace say about the appointment?

Hassan, 56, had served as planning minister before becoming King Abdullah II's chief of staff.

He replaces outgoing Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh, who had headed the government since October 2020.

In a statement published by the royal palace, King Abdullah called on the newly appointed premier to "mobilize all efforts to support the resilience of our Palestinian brothers" in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

He called on Hassan 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."

In Jordan, the king has the final say on high-level appointments such as naming the prime minister, and can also make policy decisions, while the parliament's powers are limited.

Israel has rejected claims of its forces committing war crimes in Gaza, insisting their campaign is directed against Hamas, which is regarded by the US, Germany, and many others as a terrorist organization.

Islamists secure gains in election

The appointment comes after the opposition Islamic Action Front (IAF) achieved its best results since 1989, winning 31 out of 138 seats. This makes it the largest party in the elected lower house of parliament.

The Islamist IAF is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan. It benefited from public anger over the war in Gaza and frustration around Jordan's economic woes.

The election saw a low turnout of 32%.

In 1994, Jordan became the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel after Egypt.

While Jordan is a US ally and maintains diplomatic relations with Israel, the general public is widely sympathetic to the Palestinians. Nearly half of Jordan's population is of Palestinian origin.

The war in Gaza has hit Jordan's tourism industry, which accounts for around 14% of GDP.

Jordan is heavily dependent on foreign aid, especially from the United States and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Jordan's government aims to rein in more than $50 billion (€45.1 billion) in public debt and accelerate IMF-guided reforms.

sdi/dj (AFP, Reuters)