Ali Abo Rezeg
28 September 2016•Update: 28 September 2016
By Laith Junaidi
AMMAN
Jordanian Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki and members of his new cabinet took the oath of office before King Abdullah II on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by Jordan’s Royal Court.
"King Abdullah has approved the 30-minister government, including the prime minister," the statement read.
Only seven of Jordan's 30 government portfolios received new ministers, while the heads of the country’s strategic ministries -- foreign affairs, the interior, defense, economy and finance -- all retained their posts, along with Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki.
The new government is the country’s 17th since the king took the throne in 1999.
On Sunday, King Abdullah instructed al-Mulki to form a new cabinet after accepting the resignation of the outgoing government following parliamentary polls held last week.
On Sept. 20, Jordanians went to the polls to choose members of the country’s 130-seat parliament, which will now vote on whether or not to grant the new government confidence.
Last week’s polls saw the National Alliance for Reform -- which included candidates from Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood -- clinch 15 seats in the assembly, giving the group a parliamentary presence following an eight-year absence.
