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.
