New Cabinet in Jordan

JORDAN: Jordanian Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit named a new Cabinet Tuesday following the dismissal of the previous Government by King Abdullah II earlier this month.

The new 26-member line-up, which was sworn in, includes independent Islamist Abdelrahim Akur, who is a former leader of the Opposition Muslim Brotherhood, as head of the ministry of Islamic affairs and awqaf (endowments).

It also includes five Ministers who are considered close to the left, Hussein Mjalli, who becomes Justice Minister, Mazen Saket (political development), Tarek Massarweh (culture), Samir Habashneh (agriculture), and newspaper editor Taher Adwan (information). From the centre of the political spectrum, Hazem Kashuh was tasked with the municipal affairs portfolio. Kept on from the previous Government were the incumbent Ministers for foreign affairs, the interior, planning, water and finance. The Opposition Islamic Action Front, political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood gave the new Government a cautious response.

Its leader Hamzeh Mansur told AFP the new line-up which includes two women was “just like its predecessors but we will wait and see what it does before making a judgement.”

Bakhit, 64, tasked with a wide range of political and economic reforms, had made a point of consulting widely on the formation of his new government after the king dismissed his predecessor Samir Rifai, 43, on February 2 in the face of street protests fanned by the examples of Tunisia and Egypt. But Mansur said on Sunday that his party had decided not to take up an offer to join the new government, predominantly men in their 60s, despite initially promising talks with the authorities.

Islamist opposition activist Jamil Abu Bakr told AFP on Wednesday that demonstrations and other forms of protest would continue “until the adoption of reforms by the government.”

Topping the list of reforms that the opposition wants to see in place are changes to the electoral law and to laws governing public freedoms, said Zaki Bani Rsheid, a member of the Islamic Action Front’s executive committee.

Amman, Thursday, AFP