AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that has sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.



The dismissal of Mulki was demanded in a series of protests against IMF-backed tax increases that have shaken the kingdom. The sources said King Abdullah had ordered Mulki for an audience in his palace later on Monday.





Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil.Public anger over IMF-driven government policies has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, a staple item for the poor. The increases have caused Mulki's popularity to plummet.Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and in main provincial towns on Sunday in an extension of protests that began last Wednesday.The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.Witnesses said demonstrators who converged near the Cabinet office said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month, which critics say would worsen living standards. </s> AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The Latest on developments in Jordan (all times local):

Jordan's royal palace says King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

Mulki submitted his resignation to Abdullah earlier on Monday, in the wake of the largest anti-government protests since 2011. Thousands have taken to the streets in recent days to protest against a planned tax increase and a series of price hikes for basics such as fuel and electricity.

A government-linked daily says Omar Razzaz, a leading reformer and the current education minister, has been tapped as Jordan's next prime minister. The Al-Rai newspaper reported that the Harvard-educated Razzaz would succeed Mulki in the post.

There was no immediate official confirmation that Razzaz has been appointed as Mulki's successor.

Mulki served for two years as the head of an unpopular government tasked with implementing economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund.

Official media say Jordan's embattled prime minister has submitted his resignation amid mounting anti-government protests over a planned tax increase and recent price hikes of fuel and other basic goods.

Websites Hala Akhbar and Al-Rai reported that Hani Mulki informed Jordan's King Abdullah II of his decision on Monday. Hala Akhbar is linked to Jordan's military and Al-Rai is a state-run daily.

It's unclear if Mulki's departure will suffice to defuse growing public anger, manifested in the past few days in the largest street protests in the kingdom in recent years.

An official website says Jordan's embattled prime minister is heading to a meeting with King Abdullah II, in the wake of the largest anti-government protests in the kingdom since 2011.

Thousands have filled the streets of the kingdom in recent days to protest planned tax increases and have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Hani Mulki.

The Hala Akhbar site, linked to Jordan's military, says Mulki was on his way to the palace Monday.

The summoning of Mulki by the monarch has fueled speculation he might be asked to resign. It's unclear if his departure would suffice to defuse growing public anger over a series of austerity measures.

The king, who has final say on all policy issues, has frequently disbanded governments to manage crises of public confidence. </s> Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.

AMMAN: Jordan's King Abdullah was expected on Monday to ask Prime Minister Hani Mulki to resign in a bid to soothe widespread anger over economic policies that has sparked the largest protests in several years, political sources said.

The dismissal of Mulki was demanded in a series of protests against IMF-backed tax increases that have shaken the kingdom. The sources said King Abdullah had ordered Mulki for an audience in his palace later on Monday.

Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil.

Public anger over IMF-driven government policies has grown since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, a staple item for the poor.

The increases have caused Mulki's popularity to plummet.

Thousands of Jordanians took to the streets of the capital, Amman, and in main provincial towns on Sunday in an extension of protests that began last Wednesday.

The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.

Witnesses said demonstrators who converged near the Cabinet office said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month, which critics say would worsen living standards.

"The government has made us penniless ... they have left us with no more money in our pockets," chanted protesters.

Unions representing tens of thousands of employees in both the public and private sectors have also called for a general strike on Wednesday after their demands for the bill to be scrapped were rejected by the government.

The government says it needs more funds for public services and argues that tax changes reduce social disparities by placing a heavier burden on high earners and leaving lower-paid state workers relatively unscathed

Jordan's economy has struggled to grow in the past few years in the face of chronic deficits as private foreign capital and aid flows have declined.

Politicians and economists say the tough IMF-imposed fiscal consolidation plan has worsened the plight of poorer Jordanian and squeezed the middle class.

Protesters have also slammed politicians for squandering public funds and corruption.

"Our demands are legitimate. No, no to corruption," chanted the demonstrators urging King Abdullah, who is seen as a unifying force, to intervene and crack down on official graft. </s> The Latest: Jordan's king names new PM as protests continue

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The Latest on the crisis in Jordan (all times local):

Jordan's King Abdullah II has appointed Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a leading reformer and former senior World Bank official, as the country's new prime minister.

The royal court announced the appointment on Tuesday.

Razzaz will replace Hani Mulki, who resigned Monday amid widening protests over the government's austerity measures, including a planned tax increase.

Despite Mulki's resignation, daily street protests continued, with organizers saying they would not quit until the tax bill has been scrapped.

Razzaz served as education minister in the outgoing Mulki government. The king has the final say on all policy issues, and it's not clear how much of a reform mandate Razzaz will receive.

Anti-government protests have resumed in Jordan despite the resignation of the country's prime minister who had led the push for austerity measures.

Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the office of outgoing Prime Minister Hani Mulki overnight and into early Tuesday, demanding the government scrap proposed tax increases which critics say mostly target the poor and the middle class.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Mulki resigned on Monday, as Jordan's King Abdullah II tried to get a handle on the biggest protests in the kingdom in several years.

The monarch, who has the ultimate say on policy decisions, promised change, but gave no specifics on possible reforms. </s> AMMAN, Jordan — Anti-government protests resumed in Jordan despite the resignation of the country’s prime minister who had led the push for unpopular austerity measures.

Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the office of outgoing Prime Minister Hani Mulki overnight and into early Tuesday, demanding the government scrap proposed tax increases which critics say mostly target the poor and the middle class.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Mulki resigned on Monday, as Jordan’s King Abdullah II tried to get a handle on the biggest protests in the kingdom in several years.

The monarch, who has the ultimate say on policy decisions, promised change, but gave no specifics on possible reforms.

Meanwhile, Mulki is to serve as caretaker.

Jordanian media, including the government-linked Al-Rai newspaper, widely reported Monday that the current education minister, Omar Razzaz, was tapped as Mulki’s successor. Razzaz had previously held senior positions in the World Bank and is considered a reformer.

Still, there has been no official announcement, and it was not clear when and if Razzaz would be appointed.

Protest organizers have said they seek real change, including a rescinding of the tax bill, and that personnel changes at the top are irrelevant without fundamental reforms. It’s not clear whether Mulki’s eventual replacement would have such a mandate.

In the march, which started late Monday, some of the protesters chanted, “No to Mulki, No to Razzaz.”

An umbrella organization for more than a dozen unions and professional organizations said it would go ahead with a planned one-day strike on Wednesday, while several other unions said they would suspend their protests to give the country a chance to solve its problems after the resignation of Mulki.

Jordan’s government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it’s believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Jordan's royal palace says King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Hani Mulki

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's royal palace says King Abdullah II has accepted the resignation of embattled Prime Minister Hani Mulki. </s> AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule.

Jordan is a staunch military and political ally of the West in a turbulent region, and any threat to the kingdom's stability is viewed with concern, particularly by neighbouring Israel and by the U.S.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki's resignation came after several days of mass protests across Jordan against a planned tax increase, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control. The government has also raised prices for bread, electricity and fuel.

Many Jordanians feel they are being squeezed financially by a government they perceive as corrupt and aloof, and say they are not getting services for the taxes they are asked to pay.

It's not clear if the departure of the business-friendly Mulki will be enough to defuse growing public anger.

Government-linked media said Education Minister Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated reformer, has been tapped as Mulki's successor, though the choice was not officially confirmed.

Mulki is to serve as caretaker until his replacement has been named, the state news agency Petra said.

In meetings with Jordanian newspaper editors and journalists later Monday, the king promised reforms, saying the country must meet its challenges "away from the traditional approach," but did not give specifics.

Abdullah is the ultimate decision-maker on policy, but he has also positioned himself as a unifying force above the political fray. He has frequently reshuffled or disbanded governments as a way of quieting criticism.

His response to the current crisis fit that pattern.

In his comments Monday, he expressed sympathy for the protesters and the hardships faced by ordinary Jordanians, while criticizing the outgoing government, saying it had failed to explain the tax bill to citizens.

Yet he stopped short of saying he would meet protesters' demands for scrapping the bill.

Meanwhile, crowds began gathering late Monday near Mulki's office for the fifth straight evening of protests against the tax bill and the recent price hikes.

Protest organizer Ali Abous said a one-day strike set for Wednesday would still take place, despite the Cabinet changes.

"We want to change the path, not the individuals," said Abous, who heads an umbrella group for 15 unions and professional associations with half a million members.

Hatem Jarrar, a lawyer, said the resignation of Mulki is a "victory for the Jordanian people who demanded to topple the government," adding that protesters would keep pressing demands for rescinding the tax bill.

The recent protests were largely spontaneous, drawing many young people and members of the middle class, rather than being organized by traditional opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a show of non-violence, protesters raised their hands in the air as they were being pushed away from the prime minister's office by helmeted riot police.

Protest organizers have urged the king to cancel the tax plan, saying it disproportionately targets the poor and the middle class. The king has indicated he's willing to make concessions, saying earlier this week that Jordan's citizens cannot be expected to bear the entire burden of economic reform.

Jordan's government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 per cent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Abdullah became king in 1999, taking over from his late father, Hussein, and has weathered a series of political crises. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, he promised political reforms, but instead tightened his rule after the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel's security Cabinet and retired general, told foreign journalists in a news conference Monday that it's in Israel's interest "that stability will go back to Jordan as soon as possible." </s> AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule.

Jordan is a staunch military and political ally of the West in a turbulent region, and any threat to the kingdom's stability is viewed with concern, particularly by neighboring Israel and by the U.S.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki's resignation came after several days of mass protests across Jordan against a planned tax increase, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control. The government has also raised prices for bread, electricity and fuel.

Many Jordanians feel they are being squeezed financially by a government they perceive as corrupt and aloof, and say they are not getting services for the taxes they are asked to pay.

It's not clear if the departure of the business-friendly Mulki will be enough to defuse growing public anger.

Government-linked media said Education Minister Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated reformer, has been tapped as Mulki's successor, though the choice was not officially confirmed.

Mulki is to serve as caretaker until his replacement has been named, the state news agency Petra said.

In meetings with Jordanian newspaper editors and journalists later Monday, the king promised reforms, saying the country must meet its challenges "away from the traditional approach," but did not give specifics.

Abdullah is the ultimate decision-maker on policy, but he has also positioned himself as a unifying force above the political fray. He has frequently reshuffled or disbanded governments as a way of quieting criticism.

His response to the current crisis fit that pattern.

In his comments Monday, he expressed sympathy for the protesters and the hardships faced by ordinary Jordanians, while criticizing the outgoing government, saying it had failed to explain the tax bill to citizens.

Yet he stopped short of saying he would meet protesters' demands for scrapping the bill.

Meanwhile, crowds began gathering late Monday near Mulki's office for the fifth straight evening of protests against the tax bill and the recent price hikes.

Protest organizer Ali Abous said a one-day strike set for Wednesday would still take place, despite the Cabinet changes.

"We want to change the path, not the individuals," said Abous, who heads an umbrella group for 15 unions and professional associations with half a million members.

Hatem Jarrar, a lawyer, said the resignation of Mulki is a "victory for the Jordanian people who demanded to topple the government," adding that protesters would keep pressing demands for rescinding the tax bill.

The recent protests were largely spontaneous, drawing many young people and members of the middle class, rather than being organized by traditional opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a show of non-violence, protesters raised their hands in the air as they were being pushed away from the prime minister's office by helmeted riot police.

Protest organizers have urged the king to cancel the tax plan, saying it disproportionately targets the poor and the middle class. The king has indicated he's willing to make concessions, saying earlier this week that Jordan's citizens cannot be expected to bear the entire burden of economic reform.

Jordan's government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Abdullah became king in 1999, taking over from his late father, Hussein, and has weathered a series of political crises. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, he promised political reforms, but instead tightened his rule after the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel's security Cabinet and retired general, told foreign journalists in a news conference Monday that it's in Israel's interest "that stability will go back to Jordan as soon as possible." </s> Jordan’s King Abdullah on Monday asked Omar al-Razzaz, a former World Bank economist, to form a new government after Hani Mulki resigned as prime minister following the country’s biggest protests in years, a ministerial source said.

The move appeared aimed at defusing popular anger over planned tax hikes that have brought thousands of people on to the streets in the capital Amman and other parts of Jordan since last week. Razzaz was education minister in Mulki’s government.

Jordan, a staunch US ally that has a peace treaty with Israel, has remained stable through years of regional turmoil.

Police chief Maj Gen Fadel al-Hamoud said security forces had detained 60 people for breaking the law during the protests and 42 security force members had been injured, but protests remained under control.

“Rest assured, Jordan is a safe and secure country, and things are under control,” said Maj Gen Hussein Hawatmeh, head of the Gendarmerie security department, appearing along with Hamoud at a news conference.

Public anger has grown over government policies since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, both measures driven by the International Monetary Fund.

Political sources earlier said Abdullah had summoned Mulki for an audience in the king’s palace.

In a sign the tax hikes could be shelved, the Petra news agency, citing the speaker of parliament, said lawmakers were on course to ask the king’s permission to hold an exceptional session, with a majority demanding the changes be withdrawn.

Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil. The tax increases have caused his popularity to plummet.

The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.

Demonstrators who have converged near the Cabinet office have said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month.

Unions representing tens of thousands of employees in both the public and private sectors have also called for a general strike on Wednesday after their demands for the Bill to be scrapped were rejected by the government.

The government says it needs more funds for public services and argues that the tax changes reduce social disparities by placing a heavier burden on high earners. Opponents say a tough IMF-imposed fiscal consolidation plan has worsened the plight of poorer Jordanians and squeezed the middle class.

Jordan’s economy has struggled to grow in the past few years in the face of chronic deficits, as private foreign capital and aid flows have declined.

Protesters have also criticised politicians for squandering public funds and corruption. – Reuters
Hani Al-Mulki resigns as Prime Minister of Jordan following protests against economic reforms.