Jordanian Parliament Chooses PM for First Time (But Chooses to Keep the Same One)

In what has been billed as a major reform, Jordan's Parliament has chosen the Prime Minister for the first time; in the past the PM has always been chosen by the King. Somewhat undercutting the sense of dramatic change is the fact that they chose Abdullah an-Nsour, who had been named caretaket Prime inister in October — by the King. He's a liberal and at least a moderate reformer, but the Parliament also exercised its new power for the first time by choosing to keep the caretaker PM chosen by the Throne.

The debate continues about the exact degree of reform in the recent changes; Islamists and others boycotted the elections. For a good overview of the state of play in Jordan, see this piece by Curtis Ryan.