Jordan’s prime minister Hani Mulki had to quit after overnight protests due to new laws, which are increasing income taxes. On Saturday, King Abdullah called a crisis meeting after the fourth night of protests over the new bill in cities across the country.
Jordan’s king expressed confidence that people would overcome their difficulties but added he stressed the challenges facing the economy were due to the difficult regional conditions. The IMF credit line, which aims to help the country cut its $37bn debt, has come at a cost, with the government imposing austerity measures and abolishing bread subsidies.
After discussions, PM Mulki had refused to scrap the bill, saying it was up to parliament to decide whether to pass it or not. On Monday, the head of Cabinet has submitted his resignation to King Abdullah during a meeting at the Husseiniyeh Palace. The monarch accepted the resignation.
Saying about the economic crisis, King Abdullah said:
“The problem does not lie in Jordan. Jordanians are ready to sacrifice for their country, and with their strong resolve, we will persevere and overcome these challenges, as we have surmounted others before.”
During last four nights, Jordan’s capital didn’t sleep at all, the angry protests broke out in cities across Jordan on Saturday night over the austerity measures backed by International Monetary Fund. Jordan is
According to Europarl, an EU Parliament think tank, the impact on Jordan of the civil war in Syria has been “immense”. Jordan became a home for 650,000 refugees from Syria, two out of three of those refugees are living below the poverty line. Moreover, those people likely to stay in the country for many years, the EU strategists suggest.
