AMMAN, Jordan — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday tapped a longtime aide to serve as the kingdom's new prime minister.
Jordan's king appoints Harvard-educated aide to serve as prime minister
Jordan's King Abdullah II on Sunday tapped a longtime aide to serve as the kingdom's new prime minister.
By The Associated Press
September 15, 2024 at 5:52PM
The Royal Court said the king has asked Jafar Hassan, a former planning minister and the current head of Abdullah's office, to form a new government.
Hassan has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Geneva and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University. He will replace the outgoing prime minister, Bisher Al-Khasawneh, whose Cabinet resigned on Sunday in the wake of a parliamentary election. Al-Khasawneh has served since October 2020.
Hassan must now cobble together a new Cabinet to confront a series of challenges, including a struggling economy and widespread public anger over the Israel-Hamas war. Although Jordan has a peace agreement with Israel, it's home to a large Palestinian population. In last week's parliamentary election, an Islamic party emerged as the largest faction, in part because of the anger over the war in Gaza.
In Jordan, a pro-Western monarchy, all power rests with the king. The prime minister and his Cabinet work with the king in setting and implementing policies.
about the writer
The Associated Press
The Associated PressThe Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate from its 23-year high, with consequences for debt, savings, auto loans, mortgages and other forms of borrowing by consumers and businesses.
