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Jordan's king dismisses cabinet after protests
Jordan's King Abdullah replaced his prime minister following street protests and asked former premier Marouf Bakhit to form a new government that will launch a "genuine political reform process."
Abdullah told Bakhit that he should put the country on the path "to strengthen democracy," and provide Jordanians with the "dignified life they deserve," the Royal Court said in an e-mailed statement.
Islamic and leftist groups have held demonstrations every Friday since a revolt in Tunisia forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali into exile on Jan. 14. In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak today said he won't run for another term after hundreds of thousands of people rallied against his regime in Cairo's Tahrir Square in the culmination of a week-long uprising that has left more than 100 people dead. There have also been protests in Algeria and Yemen.
"The king of Jordan has traditionally used the government as a pressure valve to alleviate some of the stresses on the regime," said Ali Al-Saffar, an analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit in London. He called the changes "a pre- emptive move to protect the monarchy from criticism."
Jordan's king has replaced prime ministers 15 times since 1990.