Sun Sep 15 12:50:37 UTC 2024: ## King Abdullah Appoints Jafar Hassan as New Jordanian Prime Minister
**AMMAN** – King Abdullah II of Jordan has appointed Jafar Hassan as the new prime minister, replacing Bisher Khasawneh who resigned on Sunday. This comes in the wake of parliamentary elections where the Islamist opposition made significant gains.
Hassan, a respected technocrat and current head of the King’s office, will face the task of navigating the country through the economic challenges posed by the recent Gaza war and the ongoing global economic downturn. He will also need to address high unemployment and a burgeoning national debt, while implementing reforms aimed at boosting growth.
In his appointment letter, King Abdullah stressed the need to strengthen democracy and focus on economic development, particularly by pushing ahead with major infrastructure projects funded by international donors.
The election saw the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group aligned with Hamas, secure 31 seats, the most since parliamentary life was revived in 1989. This increased opposition presence could pose a challenge to the government’s IMF-backed reforms and foreign policy, especially in a country with strong anti-Israel sentiment.
Despite the gains made by the opposition, the pro-government majority in the 138-member parliament remains intact. However, the King ultimately retains considerable power, holding the authority to appoint governments and dissolve parliament.
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