Government reshuffle expected in Jordan

Cabinet shake-up, which will be fifth in two years, not expected to affect core portfolios

Jordan's capital Amman. The country's prime minister has told his ministers to resign, a procedural move before an imminent shake-up of the 28-member Cabinet. Alamy

Jordan’s prime minister has told his ministers to resign before an expected government reshuffle, official TV reported on Wednesday.

"The ministerial team have put forth their resignation in front of Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh ahead of a new amendment he will make to his government," the report said.

The move is procedural before the reshuffle, which will be the fifth since King Abdullah appointed Mr Al Khasawneh as prime minister in October 2020.

Pro-government media said the reshuffle would take place on Thursday and exclude the foreign affairs, interior and finance portfolios, regarded as the most important ministries in the 28-member cabinet.

All significant powers in Jordan lie with the king. The role of the prime minister and his Cabinet is mostly administrative.

The kingdom has had at least a dozen governments since King Abdullah succeeded his father, the late King Hussein, in 1999. Cabinet shake-ups are also frequent.

The last reshuffle was last October, when a new energy minister and government spokesman were brought in.

In March 2021, Nazir Obeidat was sacked as health minister, after the deaths of at least seven coronavirus patients at a public hospital in central Jordan that ran out of oxygen.

The previous month, Bassam Al Talhouni and Samir Mubaidin were sacked as justice minister and interior minister, respectively, after they broke Covid-19 rules in public.