US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6728

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 006728 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, JO 
SUBJECT: KING ABDULLAH TO APPOINT NEW GOVERNMENT 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 06491 
     B. AMMAN 06281 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm for Reasons 1.5 (B,D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) Prime Minister Abul Ragheb told the Ambassador today 
that he will submit his resignation to the King on October 
22.  Embassy sources and the press report that King Abdullah 
will appoint Royal Court Minister Faisal Fayez as the new PM. 
 The King intends to meet with prospective members of a 
reshuffled Cabinet at a closed two-day summit where he will 
outline his agenda for a new government, including an 
emphasis on political reforms.  While Fayez is generally 
liked, there is widespread doubt whether he has the 
experience and character to reform government institutions 
and move measures through Parliament.  This may signal that 
the King plans to take an active role in governance and in 
pushing through his priorities.  End Summary. 
 
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THE CAT'S OUT OF THE BAG 
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2.  (C) Amidst increasing rumors about a government shake-up, 
Palace sources disclosed publicly October 20 that Prime 
Minister Ali Abul Ragheb will very shortly resign and that 
King Abdullah will accept his resignation.  The Prime 
Minister confirmed to the Ambassador October 21 that he would 
submit his resignation within 24 hours.  An unnamed official 
in the Royal Court told the press that Royal Court Minister 
Faisal Fayez would succeed Abul Ragheb as PM and head a new 
government that will "speed up the implementation of His 
Majesty King Abdullah's vision of modernization and reform." 
Emphasizing that new ministers would not be chosen on the 
basis of geographic or tribal roots, the Royal Court source 
was quoted as saying, "Ministers of the new Cabinet will be 
selected for their skills and capabilities to carry out 
political, economic and social reforms in line with the 
King's plan for a better Jordan." 
 
3.  (U) The local press further announced that the number of 
Cabinet ministers will be reduced from 29 to around 20, with 
the Ministry of Information being scrapped and a new Ministry 
for Political Development added.  Public reports also stated 
that King Abdullah would soon meet with the new Cabinet, to 
include women and more young technocrats, at a two-day 
retreat in Aqaba to discuss objectives and draft a government 
program. 
 
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WHO'S IN AND WHO'S OUT 
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4.  (C) Press accounts on the formation of a new government 
are generally in line with what we've been hearing.  Abul 
Ragheb is holding a final meeting of the current Cabinet on 
October 21.  Embassy sources indicate that the King will host 
prospective Cabinet ministers at his Aqaba Palace on October 
22-23 to gauge their commitment to his reform agenda and 
ability to work together, although it is not yet clear when 
their names will be made public.  We've been told that the 
expected Cabinet will be "half liberal," including as many as 
three women, and that the other half was "not too 
conservative." 
 
5.  (C) Despite the shake-up, we believe that many of the 
more liberal-minded members of the current Cabinet will 
remain.  Foreign Minister Marwan Muasher is expected to stay 
and may be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.  We believe 
that many of the progressive economic ministers will also 
make the cut, including Minister of Planning Bassam Awadallah 
who we are told will be given "expanded responsibilities," 
which may include the Trade and Industry portfolio and a 
Deputy Prime Minister title.  Telecom Minister Fawaz Zubi 
will retain his job, as will Education Minister Khalid Touqan 
and Water Minister Nazem Nasser.  We understand that Finance 
Minister Michel Marto may be moved to head the Central Bank 
of Jordan, to be replaced by his former Number 2, Mohammad 
Abu Hammour, who has been Minister of Industry and Trade 
since June.  The fate of Deputy Prime Minister for Economic 
Affairs, Mohammad Halaika, one of the main architects of 
Jordan's economic reforms, is unclear, though he likely will 
remain in the government. 
 
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DEMOCRACY TO THE FOREFRONT? 
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6.  (C) Our interlocutors say that one of the King's top 
priorities for the new government will be a political reform 
agenda "heavy on human rights, democracy and pluralism," 
along with a continued emphasis on ongoing economic 
modernization.  According to a Cabinet source, the King is 
proud of the results of his economic reform efforts and has 
decided that now is the time to match this progress in the 
political arena.  This would include a stepped up effort to 
formally ratify in Parliament and implement international 
human rights conventions signed by previous governments. 
Reports of a new Ministry for Political Development indicate 
that the King will devote new resources to his vision of a 
more open political system with active political parties (see 
ref b). 
 
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IS FAYEZ THE MAN FOR THE JOB? 
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7.  (U) Faisal Fayez, 51 years old, was most recently 
appointed Minister of the Royal Court in March 2003.  Prior 
to that, he served as Chief of Protocol for the Palace. 
Fayez is an alumni of the U.S. International Visitor program 
and obtained a degree in International Relations from Boston 
University.  He is from the prominent Bani Sakhr tribe, which 
traditionally has had close ties to the royal Hashemite 
family. 
 
8.  (C) While Abul Ragheb has been accused of corruption and 
disparaged by some members of Parliament (see ref a), Fayez 
is well-liked with no major political liabilities.  Yet he 
does not have substantive experience in government office and 
lacks real influence outside of his tribe.  Moreover, he is 
not seen as a strong leader or as having the necessary 
"drive" to reform government institutions and push more 
controversial measures through Parliament.  Although a loyal 
servant of the King, he is not the strong reformer you might 
expect to lead a liberalizing government. 
 
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COMMENT 
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9.  (C) Early public reaction to the news of Abul Ragheb's 
departure has been positive.  Similarly, the new emphasis on 
human rights and democracy should be generally welcomed both 
within and outside the Kingdom as a positive change, although 
it may cause discomfort for some entrenched interests.  By 
selecting Fayez to head his new government, the King has 
apparently decided to opt for a non-objectionable figure who 
enjoys his close trust over a more experienced, but 
controversial, candidate with a wider political base.  Unless 
Fayez exceeds very modest initial expectations, we expect 
that the King plans to remain very engaged in day to day 
governance if he wishes to implement his reform agenda. 
 
10.  (U) Baghdad minimize considered. 
 
Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at 
http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through 
the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. 
GNEHM