Jordan’s king accepts PM al-Khasawneh’s resignation, appoints technocrat

Jafar Hassan has been named Jordan’s new prime minister by the king after last week’s parliamentary elections.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh after last week’s parliamentary elections were dominated by frustration over Israel’s war on Gaza.

Khasawneh, a 55-year-old veteran diplomat, had led the government since October 2020.

The king designated Jafar Hassan, a technocrat and former planning minister currently serving as the king’s head of office, in his place.

A royal palace statement said King Abdullah had ordered the government to remain in a caretaker capacity until the formation of a new cabinet.

Under the kingdom’s constitution, the government usually resigns after legislative elections. It is the king who appoints the prime minister – not the parliament, which has limited powers.