King Abdullah dissolves Jordanian government

The unrest which began in Tunisia and spread to Egypt has also produced some demonstrations in Jordan, on a much smaller scale, Hmanevents.com reported.

Jordan’s King Abdullah decided to head off larger protests by dissolving his government today, and appointing a new Prime Minister.

New PM Marouf Bakhit has been charged with carrying out "true political reforms", but the Islamist opposition rejected the appointment, according to BBC News.

The protesters had demanded action on unemployment and rising prices and the right to elect the prime minister.

They blamed former PM Samir Rifai for the country's economic problems and had called on him to stand down. The palace said the king had accepted his resignation earlier on Tuesday.

In a statement, it said Mr Bakhit's mission was "to take practical, quick and tangible steps to launch true political reforms, enhance Jordan's democratic drive and ensure safe and decent living for all Jordanians".

Bakhit, a former army general, served as Jordan's prime minister from 2005 until his resignation in 2007.

The country's powerful Islamic opposition movement, the Islamist Action Front (IAF), said it did not welcome Bakhit's appointment.

"With the choice of Bakhit, it's obvious that reforms have not started yet. We are against Bakhit because our experience with him is not encouraging," IAF head Hamzah Mansur told the AFP news agency.

"There is no reason to stop the protests now," he added.