Jordan: Parliament Dissolved

In a surprise move, King Abdullah II of Jordan has dissolved parliament and called for early elections (see our earlier post).  Reuters reports that the move came amid the Abdullah’s frustration over the inability to pass investor friendly laws after parliament had blocked tax reform legislation and ahead of the introduction of the 2010 budget, which was  expected to have a rough ride.  Black Iris reports that the move is being overwhelming supported by the Jordanian public as the parliament was viewed as incompetent and, as Sameeh al-Maitah says (in Arabic), the move may represent larger changes needed to restore public confidence.   Jamil Nimri worries (in Arabic) that the elections will be based on the old election law that disadvantaged Islamists.