Jordan’s king appoints new PM after general elections

AMMAN: Jordan´s King Abdullah II on Sunday nominated his chief of staff to be the new prime minister, the royal palace said, charging him with forming a government after parliamentary elections.

The outgoing premier, Bisher Khasawneh, submitted his resignation to the king earlier on Sunday.

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

“King Abdullah on Sunday tasked Jafar Hassan with forming a new government,” a palace statement said.

In a letter published by the palace, King Abdullah called on Hassan to “mobilise all efforts to support the steadfastness of our Palestinian brothers” in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and “Holy Jerusalem”.

He also called on the premier-designate to “work with all our energy through Arab and international movements to protect the Palestinian people, and stop the attacks and blatant violations of humanitarian principles and international law”.