AMMAN, 1 December 2005 — Jordan’s new government has kicked off its mandate by forming committees to tackle political and socio-economic reforms in line with instructions from King Abdallah II, officials said yesterday.
During its first meeting on Tuesday the 24-member government of Prime Minister Maaruf Bakhit, the fifth under King Abdallah since 1999, set up eight committees, Petra news agency said.
The king appointed Bakhit last week and asked him to push ahead with reforms. He also called for strengthening security after the Nov. 9 hotel suicide bombings that killed 60 people in one of the most stable Arab countries.
That came a day after a panel submitted to the king a 2,500-page report outlining guidelines for reforms needed to be taken over the next 10 years.
It also coincided with a damning report by the Brussels-based think tank International Crisis Group urging Jordan to implement quick reforms to avoid further terror attacks, which it said are fueled by popular discontent.
“Putting off long-promised reforms would be a serious mistake. The attacks should be seen as a wake-up call,” the report said.
The first panel set up by the government will oversee the implementation of a mega housing project for the poor which was formally launched Tuesday by Abdullah, who contributed $7 million towards its first phase.
