Jordan's King dissolves parliament in preparation for November election

Jordan's King Abdullah dissolved parliament on Sunday, officials said, paving the way for an election in November.

Under constitutional rules, the government must resign within a week.

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In July, Jordan's electoral commission set November 10 as the date for a parliamentary election after the monarch called for countrywide polls to be held at the end of the parliament's four-year term.

The king issued a royal edict ordering the dissolution of parliament, effective Sunday. The assembly comprises 130 lawmakers, mainly pro-government tribal officials, businessmen and ex-security officials.

The move is likely to be followed by a wider government shake-up to ward off popular disenchantment over economic hardship worsened by the economic blow dealt by COVID-19 and over allegations of official corruption.

King Abdullah appointed Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz in the summer of 2018 to defuse the biggest protests in years over tax increases pushed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce Jordan’s large public debt.

Constitutionally, most powers rest with the king, who appoints governments and approves legislation.

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