Jordan's new prime minister, Bishr Al-Khasawneh (Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 4.0 via الخصاونة هاني)
AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Wednesday designated his policy adviser to form a new government amid criticism of the previous government’s handling of the virus pandemic.
In a statement published by the Royal Court, the king said he appointed Bishr al-Khasawneh the country’s new prime minister and instructed him to form a government that meets the aspirations of the Jordanian people.
Al-Khasawneh will oversee parliamentary elections November 10.
Abdullah on Saturday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz. The king had dissolved Parliament a week earlier at the end of its four-year term. Under the country’s constitution, that left al Razzaz’s government a week to resign.
Jordan has nearly 20,200 confirmed virus cases, including over 130 fatalities, and the previous government was criticized for its handling of the pandemic.
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Jordanian King Abdullah II delivers a speech at the European Parliament, on January 15, 2020, in Strasbourg, eastern France. (Frederick FLORIN / AFP)
King Abdullah urged Al-Khaswaneh to enhance coordination with other Arab countries and expand economic ties with them, as well as facilitate foreign and Arab investments.
The king said the Palestinian cause is also a top priority for the kingdom, and that Jordan would continue its efforts to bring about a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
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