King Abdullah II of Jordan dismissed his entire cabinet after a series of street protests and asked a former prime minister to form new government and immediately institute political reforms. The powerful Muslim opposition, which had demanded the dismissal of Prime Minister Samir Rifai in mass protests inspired by the events in Tunisia and Egypt said the changes were inadequate.
Rifai, who was responsible for increases in fuel and food prices and the slow pace of political reform, submitted his resignation to the king, who accepted immediately, said the royal palace. The king appointed Marouf al-Bakhit as prime minister appointed with orders to''take swift and tangible real political reforms that reflect our vision of a comprehensive modernization and development of Jordan,''the statement said.
Al-Bakhit was premier in 2005-2007. The King stressed that political reform was necessary''to provide a better life for our people, but we can not achieve without real political reform, which should increase popular participation in decision making.'' Al-Bakhit asked to conduct a''comprehensive assessment ...
to correct past mistakes.'' He did not elaborate. According to the statement,''Abdullah ordered an immediate review of the laws governing political and civil liberties,''including those relating to political parties, public meetings and elections. The Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful opposition group, dismissed the changes.
Reject''the new prime minister and we will continue our protests until our demands are met,''said Hamza Mansour, leader of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the brotherhood. Mansur reiterated that the constitution should be amended so that the minister is not appointed by the king but by the parliamentary majority.
The Jordanian constitution gives the king the exclusive power to appoint the prime minister, dissolve parliament and rule by decree.''Unlike Egypt, do not want a regime change in Jordan and recognize the Hashemite regime in Jordan,''said allusion to the dynasty. ''But we want real political reforms be implemented,''he said.
Ascended the throne in 1999, Abdullah II vowed to continue the political reforms initiated by his father, the late King Hussein. This resulted in parliamentary elections in 1989 after 22 years, the revival of a multiparty system and the suspension of martial law, which was in force from the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.
However, since then it has made little progress. Despite new laws on freedom of the press, journalists are persecuted for expressing opinions or comments deemed defamatory to the king and the royal family. In terms of women's rights, Abdullah has called for stiffer penalties apply to authors of''honor''killings, but the sentences are still generally mild. 
Rifai, who was responsible for increases in fuel and food prices and the slow pace of political reform, submitted his resignation to the king, who accepted immediately, said the royal palace. The king appointed Marouf al-Bakhit as prime minister appointed with orders to''take swift and tangible real political reforms that reflect our vision of a comprehensive modernization and development of Jordan,''the statement said.
Al-Bakhit was premier in 2005-2007. The King stressed that political reform was necessary''to provide a better life for our people, but we can not achieve without real political reform, which should increase popular participation in decision making.'' Al-Bakhit asked to conduct a''comprehensive assessment ...
to correct past mistakes.'' He did not elaborate. According to the statement,''Abdullah ordered an immediate review of the laws governing political and civil liberties,''including those relating to political parties, public meetings and elections. The Muslim Brotherhood, the most powerful opposition group, dismissed the changes.
Reject''the new prime minister and we will continue our protests until our demands are met,''said Hamza Mansour, leader of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the brotherhood. Mansur reiterated that the constitution should be amended so that the minister is not appointed by the king but by the parliamentary majority.
The Jordanian constitution gives the king the exclusive power to appoint the prime minister, dissolve parliament and rule by decree.''Unlike Egypt, do not want a regime change in Jordan and recognize the Hashemite regime in Jordan,''said allusion to the dynasty. ''But we want real political reforms be implemented,''he said.
Ascended the throne in 1999, Abdullah II vowed to continue the political reforms initiated by his father, the late King Hussein. This resulted in parliamentary elections in 1989 after 22 years, the revival of a multiparty system and the suspension of martial law, which was in force from the Arab-Israeli war of 1948.
However, since then it has made little progress. Despite new laws on freedom of the press, journalists are persecuted for expressing opinions or comments deemed defamatory to the king and the royal family. In terms of women's rights, Abdullah has called for stiffer penalties apply to authors of''honor''killings, but the sentences are still generally mild.
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