Sources: King Hussein informed Crown Prince Hassan that he is releived
Jordan, Politics, 1/22/1999

Well-informed sources in Amman asserted on Thursday that Jordan's King Hussein has informed his brother, Crown Prince Hassan, of his decision to relieve him from his post as crown prince, in preparation for choosing one of his five sons to succeed him to the throne.

The sources told the London-based al-Hayat daily that the Jordanian King, who had not met with Crown Prince Hassan since the latter received him at the airport on his arrival in Jordan on Tuesday, informed Crown Prince Hassan of his decision through two of his senior officials on Wednesday night.

The sources stressed that the King's announcement of his new crown prince will be made "by the beginning of next week." The sources said that Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh had conveyed the King's decision, which was already expected in light of press statements the Jordanian King has recently made.

The political sources in Jordan did not rule out that the change in the post of "crown prince" will be in coordination with a governmental reshuffle.

The Jordanian constitution permits the King to choose any of his five sons to succeed him. They are Princes Abdullah, Faisal, Ali, Hamzeh, and Hashem.

The King's oldest son, Prince Abdullah, was threes year old when the King chose Prince Hassan to be his crown prince.

According to Jordanian political circles, the six months the king spent in medical treatment abroad gave him the chance to think thoroughly about the future of Jordan. Jordanian political sources said the King told one of his visitors in Washington two months earlier that he was not satisfied with the way the state's affairs were being run during his absence and that he intended to make vast changes in a framework of comprehensive revisions of conditions.

Previous Stories:
  On the succession of the throne of King Hussein   (1/21/1999)
  King Hussein: Reports on succession mere forecasts   (1/20/1999)
  King Hussein returns home   (1/20/1999)

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