Changes Sweep Jordanian Government, New PM Appointed

Jordanian Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit has been sacked the day after 70 out of 120 parliamentarians called on Jordan’s King Abdullah II to remove him. The king has appointed Awn Khaswaneh as Jordan’s new prime minister, according to officials. Khaswaneh has been a member of the International Court of Justice since 2000, and he was a former chief of the royal court and a legal adviser to Jordan’s team that negotiated a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. King Abdullah also removed the head of Jordan’s intelligence agency, Faisal al-Shoubaki, and dissolved the cabinet.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan has accusedthe government of attacking a pro-reform rally, north of Amman, that called for the disbanding of Prime Minister Bakhit’s government and the dissolution of parliament for failing to carry out necessary political reform. Activists said that several people were hurt when unknown assailants used firearms, stones and sticks to disperse a rally organized by four tribes in the village of Salhoub. Other reports of attacks have also emerged (Arabic).