Amman - King Abdullah II of Jordan demanded yesterday that his government draft a new electoral law within a month, clearing the way for new legislative elections after dissolving parliament on Saturday. The king said in a letter to the Jordanian Prime Minister, Mr Ali Abu Ragheb, he had dissolved parliament's elected 80-seat lower chamber because it "could not adopt a new election law."
The Jordanian constitution allows the cabinet to pass legislation, in the absence of parliament, with the king's approval. In his letter, Abdullah outlined his guidelines to his prime minister, calling for the electoral law to "reinforce the democratic process" and "re-examine the carving up of electoral districts."