Al-Tarawneh to form new Jordanian government

A royal decree was released in Amman on Wednesday that provides for accepting the resignation of the government of Abdul Salam al-Majali and assigning the chairman of the Jordanian Royal Court and former Foreign Minister Fayez al-Tarawneh to form the new Jordanian government.

Tarawneh has already started his consultations to form the new government. Al-Majali had formed a government by the beginning of 1997 and made amendments to this government in April 1998.

Meanwhile Foreign Minister Jawad al-Anani took over Tarawneh's previous post as the head of the Royal Divan.

Meanwhile, Jordanian dailies said on Wednesday that the society in charge of protecting consumers raised a judicial case against the Jordanian government blaming it for the pollution of potable water in Amman, a matter which led to resignation of Jordanian Water and Irrigation Minister Munzir Haddadin. Majali's government also faced criticism over incorrect economic figures and a proposed press law.

The society's chairman, Muhammad Obeidat, said in press statements that the first hearing about this case will be held on August 30. The society is a nongovernmental organization. Its task is to monitor commodity prices and quality in Jordan.

Majali's resignation and Tarawneh's appointment came after the governmental committee investigating the drinking water problem submitted its report yesterday.

Tarawneh was educated in the U.S.A, and he was one of the most prominent negotiators of the peace agreement ratified between Jordan and Israel in 1994.