Jordanian premier quits after vote boosts Islamists

Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher al-Khasawneh has submitted his resignation, officials familiar with the matter say, less than a week after a parliamentary election that saw some gains for the Islamist opposition in the US-allied kingdom.

US-educated Jaafar Hassan, now head of King Abdullah’s office and a former planning minister, is expected to replace Khasawneh, a veteran diplomat and former palace adviser who was appointed nearly four years ago, the officials say.

Hassan will face the challenges of mitigating the impact of the Gaza war on the kingdom’s economy, hard hit by curbs to investment and a sharp drop in tourism.

The Muslim Brotherhood opposition and ideological allies of Palestinian terror group Hamas made significant gains in Tuesday’s election, boosted by anger over Israel’s war in Gaza.

The new composition of the 138 member parliament retains a pro-government majority, but a more vocal Islamist-led opposition could challenge IMF-led free-market reforms and foreign policy.