Jordan’s Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh presented his resignation to King Abdullah II on Sunday, according to official media, following parliamentary elections marred by discontent over the Gaza conflict.
According to the kingdom’s constitution, the government normally resigns following legislative elections. The king picks the prime minister, not Parliament, which has restricted powers.
The Islamic Action Front, the country’s main Islamist party, won 31 of the 138 seats in parliament on Tuesday.
The IAF is a political offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, and as a result, the Islamists have the most representation since 1989.
Despite a low turnout of 32%, the party’s success was fueled by people dissatisfied with economic conditions and Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994, becoming just the second Arab state to do so after Egypt, but regular protesters have demanded its breakdown since the conflict began in October.
Palestinians account for about half of the country’s population.
Khasawneh, 55, had led the government since October 2020.
Jordan has a bicameral parliament. In addition to the elected parliament, there is a senate of 69 members nominated by the monarch.
The Gaza war has harmed Jordan’s tourism industry, which accounts for approximately 14% of the country’s GDP.
The monarchy relies substantially on foreign help, particularly from the United States and the International Monetary Fund.
In the first quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate was 21%.