New Jordanian government takes constitutional oath
Members of the new Jordanian government chaired by Faisal al-Fayez on Saturday took its constitutional oath before the Jordanian King Abdullah II.
This came in conclusion of intensive consultations held behind the scene, during which the government embarked on a work plan and a mechanism for implementation inspired from the royal authorization decree.
Following the first meeting held by the government, the official spokeswoman Asmaa al-Khuder said that the new government decided to submit the authorities of the ministries of information and culture which were transferred to the prime minister Faisal al-Fayez and his deputy Muhammad al-Halayqa.
The designated Jordanian prime minister Faisal al-Fayez formed a government of 20 ministers including three women ministers, for the first time in the history of Jordan.
Among these women were the lawyer and the activist in defending human rights Asmaa al-Khuder who will assume the post of the official spokeswoman for the government. She will enjoy the post of the minister. The current foreign minister Marwan Muashar will keep his post.
The government of the former chairman of the Royal Court is dominated by liberals who support the west against conservative politicians who dominated the former government.
This government -- the third under the rule of King Abdullah II -- includes a new ministry for political development affairs, assigned to former journalist and Jordan's ambassador in Morocco Muhammad Dawoudeyah. The new formation abrogated the ministries of information, culture and administrative development and the state for foreign affairs.
The government includes 8 ministers of Palestinian origins in a country where persons whose roots go back to the west of Jordan river are half the population of the country ( 1.2 million inhabitants).
News reports in Jordan said that the former Jordanian government led by Ali Abul Ragheb failed at the level of economic development in not reaching economic growth to the set rate estimated at 5%.
At the political level, people's criticism of the government was increasing over its rejection to enact a modern elections law for parliamentary elections on the ground that national reconciliation and dialogue with the opposition reached a deadlock and the expansion in temporary laws ( 200 laws) was still in effect.
Certain observers consider that one of the governmental reshuffle in Jordan is preparation for dealing with the regional surrounding of Jordan following the occupation of Iraq.
The Jordanians show cautious optimism in the new government and hope that it will make internal political gains and embark on constructive dialogue with Jordanian political parties.
Simultaneously, the Jordanians realized that any Jordanian government does not have the magic marker to solve the economic problem, but they do believe that pursuing a policy based on economic growth is possible and would alleviate unemployment and poverty.