Jordan’s prime minister quits
Jordan’s Prime Minister Awn al-Khaswaneh submitted his resignation today after less than a year in office. His surprising move reportedly came in protest over the refusal of the Royal Court to allow meaningful political reforms. The last straw, it appears, was the disappointing new election law which failed to respond to long-standing complaints by political ...
Jordan's Prime Minister Awn al-Khaswaneh submitted his resignation today after less than a year in office. His surprising move reportedly came in protest over the refusal of the Royal Court to allow meaningful political reforms. The last straw, it appears, was the disappointing new election law which failed to respond to long-standing complaints by political activists, parties, and outside analysts. Less than a week ago, I told the Jordanian newspaper al-Ghad that I was deeply worried about the kingdom's stability because of its failure to enact any serious political or economic reform or to engage seriously with a growing wave of protest and unrest. The sudden resignation of the respected jurist should draw renewed attention to Jordan's political stability -- and raise important questions about its willingness and ability to reform.
Jordan’s Prime Minister Awn al-Khaswaneh submitted his resignation today after less than a year in office. His surprising move reportedly came in protest over the refusal of the Royal Court to allow meaningful political reforms. The last straw, it appears, was the disappointing new election law which failed to respond to long-standing complaints by political activists, parties, and outside analysts. Less than a week ago, I told the Jordanian newspaper al-Ghad that I was deeply worried about the kingdom’s stability because of its failure to enact any serious political or economic reform or to engage seriously with a growing wave of protest and unrest. The sudden resignation of the respected jurist should draw renewed attention to Jordan’s political stability — and raise important questions about its willingness and ability to reform.
The Middle East Channel has been keeping a close eye on Jordan’s ongoing political problems:
"The Implications of Jordan’s New Election Law" — Curtis Ryan, April 13, 2012
"Identity and Corruption in Jordanian Politics" — Curtis Ryan, February 9, 2012
"Just What Does Jordan’s King Abdullah Understand" — Laurie Brand and Fayyaz Hammad, January 17, 2012
"Jordan’s Fictional Reforms" — Sean Yom, November 9, 2011
"Fragile Hopes for Jordan’s New Prime Minister" — Christine Satkowski, October 24, 2011
We will have more soon on the unfolding developments in Jordan.
Marc Lynch is associate professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University, where he is the director of the Institute for Middle East Studies and of the Project on Middle East Political Science. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He is the author of The Arab Uprising (March 2012, PublicAffairs).
He publishes frequently on the politics of the Middle East, with a particular focus on the Arab media and information technology, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, and Islamist movements. Twitter: @abuaardvark
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