Jordanian king dismisses prime minister

  Amman, 21 January: protesters carry a giant Jordanian flag during a demonstration against the policies of the government.

King Abdullah of Jordan replaced his prime minister on Tuesday following a wave of protests inspired by mass demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt. The king asked Marouf Bakhit, a conservative former premier and ambassador to Israel, to head the government after accepting the resignation of  Samir Rifai.
The Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, expressed anger with the appointment of Bakhit.'This is not a step in the right direction and does not show any intent toward real political reforms or meeting the popular demands for people yearning for greater political freedoms,' said Sheikh Hamza Mansour, head of the Islamic Action Front (IAF). The IAF is the largest political group in Jordan.