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Jordan’s New Government: Same Old Politics

While Jordan’s King Abdullah II wished for a parliamentary government, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour includes in his second-term Cabinet members who stand for more of the same, writes Osama Al Sharif.
Jordan's new Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour speaks to the media after the swearing-in ceremony for the new cabinet at the Royal Palace in Amman March 30, 2013. Jordan's King Abdullah swore in a reformist government on Saturday, an administration that will be required to speed up economic and political reforms, officials said. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXY31C

After almost two months of deliberations that included consultations between the Royal Court and Lower House deputies, and later between Prime Minister-designate Abdullah Ensour and parliamentarians, a new Jordanian government was formed Saturday. But contrary to expectations the new Cabinet looked very much like previous governments, composed mostly of loyalists. This was supposed to be Jordan’s first parliamentary government, an obscure term that no one dared define. In the end, Ensour, who headed the previous government, excluded deputies from his Cabinet.

Critics reacted immediately by describing the new government as “tasteless” and “disappointing.” Hamzeh Mansour, secretary-general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the biggest political party in the country which chose to boycott last January’s parliamentary elections, said that “the problem is not with names [of ministers] but with the way governments are formed and [government] programs.” He added that “the new Cabinet differs slightly from previous ones and did not bring any added value.” He reiterated his party’s position that for change to happen the election law must be reformed.

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