In light of the toppling of the Tunisian government last month and almost the same in Egypt this month, a new Jordanian government was sworn in yesterday under the auspices of King Abdullah II. It is headed by Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit, a former ambassador to both Turkey and Israel.
Only five of the 28 current ministers served in the previous government, which the king abruptly dismissed last week. Among the new ministers are two women.
With fear rampant in the West that the Muslim Brotherhood would gain power in Egypt, its sister organization in Jordan declined an invitation to be part of the new government.
Bakhit, born in 1947, served in the Jordanian Armed Forces for 35 years, and was Jordan's prime minister from 2005 to 2007.
He has stressed that he would continue the process of reform, encouraging more political parties to take an active role in government decisions and preparing for more democratic elections. Corruption in government and rising prices are two significant problems that must be faced, analysts say.