A Future Jordan - نحن الأردن

Jordanian PM unveils new Cabinet to gain Parliament's support for reform

Jordanian PM unveils new Cabinet to gain Parliament's support for reform
By Agence France Presse
Monday, July 04, 2005

Jordan Prime Minister Adnan Badran named eight new ministers in a major Cabinet reshuffle aimed at winning a parliamentary vote of confidence - and to gain a mandate for imposing reform and slashing oil subsidies.

In an unprecedented move, Badran was forced to change his line-up only three months after he formed his government in April, as the Cabinet came under attack from a group of 53 MPs in the 110-member Parliament. The deputies threatened a no-confidence vote unless the economic team was changed - in other words the deeply unpopular Finance Minister Bassem Awadallah.

Awadallah, a controversial figure close to King Abdullah II and the U.S. administration, stepped down on June 15, paving the way for the government reshuffle.

"Faced with unpopular decisions such as plans to raise oil products by five to 12 percent, the Badran government had to get rid of controversial ministers in order to win public sympathy," a Jordanian official said.

"This was necessary in order to contain the public moaning expected when oil prices will rise," the official said.

Badran, a respected academic-turned-politician, coordinated the reshuffle with Parliament in a bid to win a vote of confidence as well as the support of MPs to forge ahead with economic reform, including plans to slash oil subsidies.

Jordan's King Abdullah II has also met separately with the various political factions to underscore his determination to push for reform and eradicate corruption.

Last week Badran told private sector executives that his government would announce plans to cut oil subsidies as part of a scheme to privatize the energy sector by 2008. Jordan must cut $600 million in subsidies over three years, officials have said.

Price increases for oil products in 1989 and bread in 1996 triggered riots in Jordan, but increases of oil products and other goods in 2004 - which were arranged in close consultation with Parliament - did not fuel any violent discontent in the country.

The newcomers include veteran diplomat Marwan Moasher, who was appointed deputy prime minister, Adel Qudaa, who was named finance minister, and Munzer Shareh, who was handed the Water Ministry. The line-up also includes Muzahem Muhayssen as agriculture minister, Amin Mahmoud for culture, Abdel-Karim Malahmeh as minister of state for parliamentary affairs and Minister of State Mohammad al-Najadat.

A woman, Ruwaida Maayteh, was appointed minister of government performance, joining three other women in the reshuffled Badran government. But the most important measure taken by Badran was to bring back the veteran diplomat Moasher, who was appointed deputy prime minister, a position he held in the former government of Faisal al-Fayez.

Moasher, who has been heading a national committee for reform for several months and served as royal court minister since April, will also act as official government spokesman whose mission will be to explain reform to the nation.

Adel Qudaa, who headed the Privatization Commission since 1996, replaces Awadallah as finance minister in the new government.

The reshuffle, meanwhile, caused its first casualty in Parliament when popular Amman MP Khalil Attiyeh, whose district includes a large Palestinian refugee camp, tendered his resignation, charging that the line-up was not representative.

Attiyeh, who quit Parliament hours before Badran announced the reshuffle, said that a "large faction of the Jordanian society is being marginalized."

posted by Ashraf Zeitoon @ 11:53 PM