One woman, a journalist, al-Majali knocked out Jordan: a new government by Abul Ragheb
Jordan, Politics, 7/22/2003

The Jordanian prime minister Ali Abul Ragheb yesterday introduced the 28 ministers members in his government to the Jordanian King Abdullah II. It includes to deputy premiers. Five ministers left in the expired government while other 8 were newly appointed.

The economic team in the government remained the same. Rweida al-Ma'ytah continued to have the ministry of social development, as the only woman in the government while the foreign minister Marwan Muasher continued to have his same post and there is an absence for Islamists participation in the government structure.

The new government witnessed the birth of a new ministry which is the ministry of the environment and the seperation of the two ministries of tourism and administrative development. The deputy premier and the defense minister Fares al-Nabulsi remained in his post while Muhammad al-Halaeyqa was appointed as a second deputy for the prime minister in charge of the administrative development affairs ministry.

The Journalist Nabil al-Sharif assumed the post of the information minister while the minister of information in the resigned government Muhammad al-Edwan kept the post of the minister of state for political affairs he used to have together with the information ministry post. The former minister Samir al-Habashenyah was appointed as a minister of the Interior instead of Qaftan al-Majali who was accused by Islamic candidates in the recent parliamentary elections of committing violations.

Nabil al-Sharif ( born in 1952) who assumed the post of the ministry of information has a BA in English literature from Indiana University. He has been teaching during 10 years at al-Yarmouk university and the Jordanian University before he moved to the press in al-Dostour daily.

Al-Sharif occupies the post of the chief editor in the paper whose family owns 30 percent of it.

In a message to the prime minister, the Jordanian King asked the new government to "promote the political life and revitalize the role of the parties in the country," according to the source which asked to be anonymous. King Abdullah stressed the need of "preserving national unity in the Kingdom and strengthen relations between the Kingdom and the world."

He called on the new government to continue total support for the Palestinian people "until the foundation of their independent state." He stressed that his country's relations "will continue to be brotherly and remarkable with the Iraqi people, calling for "preserving Iraq's lands unity and security," stressing the right of the Iraqi people to choose an independent leadership.

On Sunday, the Jordanian prime minister submitted his government's resignation after the parliamentary elections to King Abdullah who assigned him to form the new government. This is the third government composed by Abul Ragheb since June 2000. Officials at the Royal palace said that King Abdullah decided to re-assign Abul Ragheb because of his performance in the economic policy area while others criticized the spread of corruption in Jordan during the two past years in the absence of the parliament.

The formation of the new government behind the curtains witnessed intensive meetings between Abul Ragheb and the parliamentary blocs including the Islamic labor work which occupied 17 seats in the Jordanian parliament.

Previous Stories:
  Abul Ragheb to form a new government in Jordan   (7/21/2003)
  Inauguration of Jordanian parliament with a row between Islamists, Royalists   (7/17/2003)
  Jordan confiscates Iraqi assets to secure Jordan's interest   (7/16/2003)

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