Jordan King names new Prime minister, dissolves parliament

King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday appointed Hani Al Mulqi as new prime minister and dissolved the parliament, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Al Mulqi is a former ambassador in Cairo and served as Jordan's foreign minister in 2004. He also chaired the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority.

Al Mulqi was also a senator and an advisor to the King.

Mulqi's appointment and the dissolution of the Lower House come ahead of the parliamentary elections that are slated before the end of this year.

According to the constitution, the parliament elections are to be held within four months after the dissolution of the lower house.

In the letter of appointment, King Abdullah urged the new prime minister to provide all support and facilitation for holding the parliamentary elections.

He called on the government to address economic challenges and embark on mega projects to improve services provided for citizens in health, education, youth and other areas.

The monarch also called for enhancing legislation to attract more investments and improve business climate in the country.

He urged engaging citizens in the decision making process.

Source: XINHUA