Jordan’s Prime Minister Khasawneh tenders resignation

Jordan’s Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh has submitted his resignation to the country’s western-backed King Abdullah II, only six months after he formed a government to bring in reforms. and western-backed King accepted his resignation.

The reason for Khasawneh’s resignation is not clear. However, sources close to him have cited alleged efforts by the Royal Palace to undermine his attempts to introduce democratic reforms as the main reason behind his resignation.

Khasawneh was appointed as Jordan’s foreign minister in 1975, and served as the chief of the country’s Royal Hashemite Court between 1996 and 1998. In 2000, he started serving on the International Court of Justice in The Hague and was the court’s vice president from 2006 to 2009.

Khasawneh, a judge at International Court of Justice, was Jordan’s third premier in 2011. He formed his cabinet in October and won a comfortable vote of confidence for his government from parliament in December.

Following his appointment and as a popular legal character, Khasawneh vowed to fight corruption saying he had “received guarantees from the king to have full sovereignty as prime minister”.

Jordanians have been holding street protests since January 2011, demanding political reforms including the election of the prime minister by popular vote and an end to corruption.

Since the beginning of the rallies, Jordanian dictator King Abdullah II, has sacked two prime ministers in a bid to avoid more protest.

The king has also amended 42 articles of the 60-year-old constitution, giving the parliament a stronger role in decision-making.