King Abdullah II Appoints Jaafar Hassan as New Prime Minister of Jordan Following Elections

According to Arab media, King Abdullah II of Jordan has appointed a new Prime Minister following the country’s general elections. On Sunday, the royal palace announced that King Abdullah designated his Chief of Staff, Jaafar Hassan, as the new Prime Minister, tasking him with forming the government after the parliamentary elections.

Outgoing Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh submitted his resignation to the King on Sunday. The 56-year-old Hassan, who previously served as Minister of Planning, will now lead the government. In a letter from the palace, King Abdullah urged Hassan to mobilize efforts in support of the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and “sacred Jerusalem.”

The King emphasized the need for the new Prime Minister to work with Arab and international movements to protect the Palestinian people and halt violations of humanitarian principles and international law.

Under Jordan’s constitution, the government typically resigns following legislative elections, with the King appointing the Prime Minister rather than parliament, which holds limited powers. Jordan’s parliament consists of two chambers, an elected assembly and a senate, with the latter’s 69 members appointed by the King.

In last Tuesday’s elections, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan’s leading Islamist party, won 31 of the 138 seats, becoming the largest party in parliament. The IAF is a political branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and these results give Islamists their highest level of representation since 1989.

Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming the second Arab state to do so after Egypt. However, the recent Gaza conflict has led to protests in Jordan, demanding the dissolution of the treaty. The war in Gaza has also hurt Jordan’s tourism sector, which accounts for about 14% of its GDP. The country relies heavily on foreign aid, especially from the U.S. and the International Monetary Fund. As of the first quarter of 2024, Jordan’s unemployment rate stood at 21%.