Jordan’s King swears in new government including independent member and five ministers close to the left

Jordan's King Abdullah swore in a new government on Wednesday, led by a former general, Marouf Bakhit, who has promised to widen public freedoms in response to anti-government protests inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt.

Bakhit has spent the last week holding broad-based consultations with civic opposition groups and labor and business leaders. He has said his government will ease censorship and curbs on political activity and public freedoms.

Before the cabinet was sworn in, Bakhit visited parliament and met deputies.

The new line-up includes independent Abdelrahim Akur, who is a former leader of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, as head of the ministry of Islamic affairs and awqaf (endowments). It also includes five ministers who are considered close to the left. They take the justice, political development, culture, agriculture and information portfolios.

But the outgoing ministers for foreign affairs, the interior, planning, water and finance all maintain their posts.
The opposition Islamic Action Front gave the new government a cautious response after rejecting an offer at the weekend to join the new government. Its leader Hamzeh Mansur said the new line-up was just like its predecessors. "But we will wait and see what it does before making a judgment," Mansur told AFP.