Jordan's King Abdullah swears in new government

Jordan’s King Abdullah has sworn in a new government led by Prime Minister Hani Mulqi, charging him with overseeing preparation for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

According to the reports, the new government came to power on Wednesday, three days after the monarch dissolved the parliament and appointed Mulqi as caretaker prime minister.

The parliament neared the end of its four-year term and the election should be held within four months under the constitution.

Mulqi was the chief commissioner of the country’s economic zone in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba. He is reportedly believed to have strong connections with Zionist leaders.

Jordan's parliament passed several amendments last month, giving King Abdullah more powers.

The changes give the king the right to make key appointments without any nomination process by the government or signatures from the Council of Ministers.

The new government will maintain support for the US and its policies in the region and go ahead with guided reforms of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

SS