Tarawneh: King Abdullah II to accept government resignation today

His Majesty King Abdullah II will on Saturday accept the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour which was tendered in late January, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh said. Tarawneh, who held a series of meetings with parliamentary blocs and independent MPs on the selection of a prime minister, said His Majesty will designate a new prime minister based on a report he had sent to the King on the outcome of the dialogue. He said that based on the letter of designation, the prime minister-designate will open consultations with Lower House members and other political forces as stipulated by the Speech from the Throne. In an interview with Jordan News Agency Petra Director General Faisal Shboul and Jordan Radio and Television Corporation Director General Ramadan Rawashdeh, the Royal Court Chief said the outgoing government will be in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is in place. Ensour's government submitted its resignation to the King on January 27, but was rejected and the monarch asked it to carry on with its constitutional mandate. Under the constitution, tomorrow, Sunday, is the last day of a 30-day deadline for the current government to submit its policy statement to the newly-elected Lower House. Asked when a new premier will be named, Tarawneh said: "The arbiter is the constitution and its protector, His Majesty the King,"but added that the King had declared since the beginning that "we are in the midst of consultations to form a new government which will present its policy statement to the legislature." Tarawneh said that the King had received the report which contained all the details, figures and nominees and will designate the new prime minister accordingly. He said he had been updating the King on the consultations he conducted with MPs, noting that His majesty had made it clear he would not interfere with the outcome and the MPs choices. During the interview, the Royal Court Chief spoke about his consultations with the lawmakers that he conducted after the King tasked him with leading the discussions with the new House on the formation of the country's first parliamentary government.