New Prime Minister

Ammon is reporting that Marouf Bakhit has resigned his office, and that the king is planning on naming the current chief commissioner of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, Nader Dahabi, in his place.

It is customary in Jordan to change governments after parliamentary elections. It allows for a fresh start. Bakhit served for about two years, which is a reasonable length of time by Jordanian standards. They have been somewhat rough, with a series of economic and security challenges. The economic challenges seem to be continuing, with the cost of oil being the biggest threat to the economy. The security threat was better handled, although this may have come at a cost of political freedoms and reform. The National Agenda has been shelved for the most part, and it may be time to blow the dust off of its massive volumes to see what might be done.

Nader Dahabi is the brother of the head of General Intelligence Department (mukhabarat), Mohammad Dahabi. Other, possibly less important, qualifications include having aeronautical engineering degrees and a master’s degree in public administration.

Essam Qadamani, who writes in Al Rai, has a nauseatingly fawning article on Dahabi’s achievements as Chief Commissioner at ASEZ. While the man may be able and accomplished, I would hope somebody will write about his weaknesses as well as his strengths. Ha ha.

Changing governments in Jordan is more of a sport than a functional necessity. The constraints on the office are large. However, an able PM with a decent team can and should make a difference. But in what direction? A better picture may be seen after the new cabinet is formed. Are we back to the reformers? Or will it be a continuation of the traditionalist approach of Bakhit? The mixture of having a military background and being the head of one of the most ambitious economic endeavors in the country is interesting.