It is the country’s third government this year that comes amid mounting pro-reform protests by the opposition, trade unions and youth movements, which had found inspiration from the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Abdallah last week sacked the Cabinet of Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit following a petition for his ouster that was signed by a majority of members of he lower house of Parliament, citing his failure to carry out the needed reform.

The monarch asked the International Court of Justice judge Khasawneh to form a new Cabinet, stressing the need for implementation of a series of political reforms, including the enactment of an election law that produces a Parliament truly representative of the people.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in the outgoing government retained his post in the new Cabinet along with the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jaafar Hassan.

Umayya Toukan, a former governor of the Central Bank of Jordan, became finance minister succeeding Mohammad Abu Hammour.

Mohammad Rouod, a retired army officer, was assigned the Interior portfolio succeeding Mazen Saket, who was blamed along with the security authorities for using mob attacks against rallies to quell pro-democracy moves.

Rakan Majali, a former chief editor of the Al-Rai daily, was appointed Minister of State for Information Affairs and an official government spokesman replacing Abdullah Abu Romman. The rest of ministers came from technocrat background with traditional allegiance to the regime as Khasawneh failed to convince the Islamic-led opposition to join his government.

The prime minister held two rounds of talks over the past few days with the mainstream opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood, and its political arm, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), offering them portfolios in the new Cabinet. But the top decision-making bodies of the two entities decided not to join the new government, saying the time was “still not ripe” for such a step.

However, conservatives advised Khasawneh to adopt “real reform that responds to the demands of the people”, including the limitation of the king’s powers in appointing prime ministers and coming up with a new election law that fulfils the principle of proportional representation.