The panel, to be chaired by former Prime Minister Ahmad Lawzi, comprises three other former premiers and legal experts.

“The purpose of the constitution’s revision will be to achieve a solid balance among the three powers and advance political and parliamentary performance in the country,” the monarch said in a message to Lawzi.

King Abdallah urged the committee to come up with “a constitutional formula that enables the parliament to perform its supervisory and legislative functions in an effective and independent manner” and ensures independence of the judiciary.

Jordan was over the past four months the scene for a series of demonstrations that found inspiration from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that sought to press demands for political reform.

Among the slogans raised was the annulment of more than 20 amendments introduced to the 1952 constitution which originally envisaged the establishment of a “hereditary and parliamentary monarchy” in the country.

But some of the opposition figures went so far to demand turning Jordan into a “constitutional monarchy” which implied curtailing the powers of the king, including his appointment of prime ministers and cabinet ministers.

The constitutional monarchy proposal drew sharp reactions from regime loyalists, including Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit and other old guard politicians.

In his message to Lawzi, King Abdallah directed the panel to take into account the new election law and the political parties law due to be proposed by the National Dialogue Committee which was set up last month to discuss the adoption of “speedy and real” reforms.