A new Jordanian government, headed by Bisher al-Khasawneh, was sworn in before King Abdullah II on Oct. 12, more than a week after the king accepted the resignation of the government of Omar Razzaz. The monarch had dissolved parliament on Oct. 3, at the end of its four-year term, which meant the Razazz government had to resign within a week, as stipulated by the Jordanian Constitution.

Khasawneh, 51, spent the last two years as a senior political adviser to King Abdullah. He is a veteran diplomat who served at the Foreign Ministry for years. In his letter of designation Oct. 7, the king asked Khasawneh to focus on a number of key issues including dealing with the COVID-19 health crisis, economic recovery, food security, unemployment, education, and conducting free and transparent elections slated for Nov. 10.

But there was criticism on social media for the fact that Khasawneh had formed a fairly large Cabinet of 32 ministers, including three deputies, five ministers of state and three women. It also included 13 new ministers while maintaining eight from the Razzaz government. The Cabinet included liberals and conservatives alike, raising questions about the ability of members of the Cabinet to work together.

Razzaz, who took over in June of 2018 following mass protests against his predecessor, Hani al-Mulki, forcing him to resign, had raised hopes among Jordanians when he spoke of a new renaissance and forging a new social contract. He was unable to make any political reforms while his economic plans had failed to trigger economic growth. He was accused of nepotism, appointing friends while lacking leadership.