US embassy cable - 03AMMAN6907

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 006907 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, ECON, JO 
SUBJECT: NEW JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT SWORN IN 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 06812 
     B. AMMAN 06767 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  King Abdullah swore in his new 21-member Cabinet October 
25 led by Prime Minister Faisal al-Fayez and including nine 
first-time ministers.  During a two day retreat prior to the 
swearing in ceremony, the ministers discussed ways to achieve 
the King's priorities and were charged with developing 
specific action plans.  Fayez confirmed to the press that his 
government would focus on both political and economic 
development.  End Summary. 
 
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AND THE WINNERS ARE . . . 
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2.  Jordan's new Cabinet was sworn in October 25 by King 
Abdullah and held its first official session that same day. 
The complete Cabinet list is as follows: 
 
Prime Minister & Minister of Defense:  Faisal al-Fayez (new) 
 
Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Industry and Trade: 
Mohammad Halaiqa (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Foreign Affairs:  Marwan Muasher (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Political Development & Minister of Parliamentary 
Affairs:  Mohammad Daoudiyeh (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Information Technology & Minister of 
Administrative Development:  Fawwaz Zu'bi (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Planning and International Cooperation:  Bassem 
Awadallah (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Justice & Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs: 
Salah Bashir (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Interior:  Samir Habashneh (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Education:  Khalid Touqan (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Islamic Affairs:  Ahmad Hilayel (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Water and Irrigation & Minister of Agriculture: 
Hazen Nasser (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Finance:  Mohammad Abu Hammour (former Minister) 
 
Minister of Labor:  Amjad Majali (new) 
 
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities & Minister of 
Environment:  Alia Hattough-Bouran (new) 
 
Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources:  Azmi Khreisat (new) 
 
Minister of Social Development:  Riyad Abu Karaki (new) 
 
Minister of Public Works and Housing & Minister of Transport: 
 Raed Abu Saud (new) 
 
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research:  Issam 
Zabalawi (new) 
 
Minister of Municipal Affairs:  Amal Farhan (new) 
 
Minister of State & Government Spokesperson:  Asma Khader 
(new) 
 
Minister of Health:  Saeed Darwazeh (new) 
 
3.  The new Cabinet includes eleven former ministers, ten of 
whom served in one or more of former Prime Minister Ali Abul 
Ragheb's successive governments.  Faisal al-Fayez and nine 
others are all first-time ministers.  An unprecedented three 
members of the Cabinet are women:  Alia Bouran, Alma Farhan, 
and Asma Khader.  Biographic information on each minister 
will be provided septel. 
 
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DOWNSIZING GOVERNMENT 
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4.  As reported ref b, the number of Cabinet ministers has 
been reduced from 29 in the previous government to 21.  This 
was accomplished by combining Cabinet portfolios, eliminating 
three Minister of State posts (i.e., Ministers of State for 
Political Affairs, Legal Affairs, and Foreign Affairs), and 
abolishing two ministries -- the Ministry of Information and 
the Ministry of Culture.  The Ministry of Political 
Development, on the other hand, is a new addition and the 
post of Government Spokesperson held by Asma Khader was 
elevated to Cabinet level.  In previous governments, the now 
defunct Minister of Information usually acted as 
spokesperson. 
 
5.  During its first session, the new Cabinet approved two 
temporary laws to pave the way for scrapping the Ministries 
of Information and Culture.  According to Khader, Deputy 
Prime Minster Mohammad Halaiqa will temporarily take on the 
Ministry of Culture portfolio until the dissolution of the 
ministry is complete and its responsibilities distributed 
elsewhere, possibly to a new "Higher Council for Culture." 
 
6.  Similarly, Fayez will temporarily hold the Ministry of 
Information portfolio or delegate it to another minister 
until that ministry is formally dissolved.  Khader stated 
that the 11-member Higher Media Council may be charged with 
overseeing departments related to the Ministry of 
Information.  She noted that, "Some of the departments like 
the Jordan Radio and Television Corporation are partially 
independent or linked to the Minister of Information by law. 
We will work on making these departments more independent and 
open." 
 
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A WORKING RETREAT 
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7.  Prior to their swearing in ceremony, the new ministers 
attended a two-day retreat hosted by King Abdullah in Aqaba 
to discuss the King's objectives for the new government and 
establish priorities for achieving them (see refs a and b). 
As part of this process, they were divided into four groups 
to draft recommendations on enhancing political development, 
economic and social reform, Jordan's competitive 
capabilities, and government performance.  According to press 
reports, the King also charged each minister to come up with 
a specific plan of action for his/her ministry including set 
goals and timetables. 
 
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FAYEZ SPEAKS OUT 
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8.  In his first public statement as Prime Minister, Fayez 
pledged to fulfill the King's mandate for a more modern and 
democratic Jordan, stating that there would be "a new era in 
which democracy is entrenched and complete to include all the 
components of Jordanian society . . . with no exceptions." 
He committed the government to "open the door wide for 
dialogue" and to seek formation of "strong and representative 
political parties."  Fayez also promised to augment the role 
of women and said that, "We have absolute belief in the role 
of women as fundamental partners in the process of building 
the future of Jordan." 
 
9.  Another government priority, according to Fayez, is to 
develop "a free and honest media that is responsible and 
courageous, and that respects pluralism of opinion."  In 
pursuance of this goal, he said that his government would 
work to facilitate private sector ownership of all types of 
media. 
 
10.  Fayez further pledged to fight poverty and unemployment 
by spurring economic development.  Characterizing the economy 
as the nucleus of the government's modernization and reform 
program, he said that the GOJ would continue to enact 
legislation to attract investment and provide opportunities 
to the private sector. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11.  (SBU) After much semi-public, semi-informed discussion 
in Amman of the imminent government changes, few were 
surprised by the final Cabinet list.  The Cabinet's 
composition indicates that the King aimed for a close balance 
between experience and fresh ideas.  Fayez's initial comments 
as Prime Minister reinforce earlier statements that the King 
and his new government will remain focused on social and 
political reform, in addition to continuing the current 
economic program. 
 
12.  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