JORDAN: CABINET RESHUFFLE ANNOUNCED

UNCLAS AMMAN 005314 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PBIO KDEM PHUM PREL ECON JO SUBJECT: JORDAN: CABINET RESHUFFLE ANNOUNCED REF: A. AMMAN 5065 ¶B. AMMAN 4802 ¶1. As widely anticipated, Prime Minister Badran reshuffled his cabinet on July 3, nearly three months after its initial appointment (refs). The reshuffle resulted in the addition of three new cabinet positions, bringing the total to 29, including Badran. Complete bios of the new ministers and analysis will follow septel. ¶2. The following changes to the cabinet were announced via royal decree: Deputy Prime Minister Marwan al-Muasher (formerly Minister of the Royal Court) Deputy Prime Minister Hisham al-Tel (he loses the title of Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs) Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Karim al-Malahmeh (replacing al-Tel) Minister of Culture Ameen Mahmoud (replacing Asma Khader) Minister of Finance Adel al-Qudah (replacing Bassem Awadallah, who resigned on June 16) Minister of State Mohammad Najadat (a new position in this cabinet) Minister of Justice Abed Shakhanbeh (replacing Mohammad al-'Alawneh) Minister of Agriculture Muzahem al-Muhaisen (replacing Yousef al-Shureiqi) Minister of Government Performance Ruwaida al-Ma'aytah (replacing Salah al-Bashir) Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther al-Shara'a (replacing Ra'ed Abu al-Sa'ud) ¶3. The following cabinet ministers will remain in their positions: Prime Minister and Defense Minister Adnan Badran Minister of Social Development Abdullah al-Uwaidat Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdel Salam al-Abaddi Minister of Municipal Affairs Tawfiq Kureishan Minister of Education and Higher Education and Scientific Research Khalid Touqan Minister of State for Legal Affairs Abed al-Shakhanbeh Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Alia Hatough-Bouran Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Azmi Khreisat Minister of Health Sa'id Darwazeh Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Nadia Sa'id Minister of Transport Saud Nuseirat Minister of State for Development of the Public Sector Taysir al-Smadi Minister of Interior Awni Yarfas Minister of Foreign Affairs Farouq al-Qasrawi Minister of Public Works and Housing Yusef Hiyasat Minister of Industry and Trade Sharif al-Zoubi Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Suheir al-Ali Minister of Environment Khalid al-Irani Minister of Labor Bassem al-Salim Please visit Embassy Amman's classified web site at http://www.state.sgov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the Department of State's SIPRNET home page. HALE