Jordan's king dissolves parliament ahead of elections

Jordan's King Abdullah has dissolved the parliament, which under constitutional rules means the government must resign within a week, paving the way for elections in November. 

The king issued a royal edict ordering the dissolution of parliament, effective on 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.

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

Economic contraction

The election will be held at a time the aid-dependent country grapples with a severe economic contraction with the impact of Covid-19. 

The country was already in a precarious situation even before the new coronavirus, with unemployment at 19.3 percent in the first quarter of this year.

READ MORE: Jordan to hold parliamentary polls on November 10