JORDAN: BIOS FOR NEW BADRAN CABINET MEMBERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 AMMAN 005922 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/26/2015 TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM PHUM ECON JO PBIO SUBJECT: JORDAN: BIOS FOR NEW BADRAN CABINET MEMBERS REF: A. AMMAN 5848 ¶B. AMMAN 5314 ¶C. AMMAN 2974 Classified By: CDA David Hale for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (U) Prime Minister Badran's reshuffled cabinet received its vote of confidence from parliament on July 21 (ref A), nearly three weeks after King Abdullah swore in ten new ministers (although three only shifted portfolios) and accepted the resignation of five (ref B). Hisham al-Tel loses the title of Minister of Parliamentary Affairs but will stay on as Deputy Prime Minister for Political Development; Marwan Muasher moved from the Royal Court to become Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesperson. Minister of State for Legal Affairs Abed Shakhanbeh was appointed Justice Minister. As a result of the reshuffle, Badran's new cabinet has grown from 26 to 29 (including Badran) and is even more heavily dominated by Western-educated Muslim East Bankers than the previous cabinet. Just six of the 29 ministers are Jordanians of Palestinian origin (West Bankers),four are women, and two each hail from the minority Christian and Circassian communities. A little over half (15) of the ministers received degrees at American or European universities. Bios for ministers that held over from the last cabinet were provided in April 2005 (ref C). End Summary. -------------- BIOS FOR NEW MINISTERS -------------- ¶2. (U) New (and re-assigned) members of the cabinet are: ¶A. Deputy Prime Minister and GOJ spokesperson Marwan Muasher: (U) A Christian East Banker, Muasher was born in Amman in ¶1956. He completed his secondary education at the Terra Sancta school and holds a BS in electrical engineering as well as an MS and PhD in computer science from Purdue University. Muasher has served as a lecturer at the University of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia and Director of the computer department at the Jordan Electricity Company. He also worked at the Planning Ministry and was advisor to former Prime Minister Zaid Bin Shaker. Muasher participated in a multi-regional project as part of the International Visitors Program on "New Technologies in American Industry" in 1986. He was director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington from 1991-1994 and the spokesman for Jordan's delegation during peace treaty negotiations with Israel, signed in 1994. Muasher was appointed as Jordan's ambassador to Israel in 1995, Minister of Information in 1996, and ambassador to Washington in 1997. In 2000, Muasher was decorated with the GOJ's Kawkab (planet) medal, first degree. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from January 2002 until October 2004, when he was named as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Prime Ministry Affairs and Government Performance in Faisal al-Fayez's reshuffled cabinet. He was appointed Minister of the Royal Court in April 2005. (C) Instrumental in guiding the GOJ strategy for political and economic development, Muasher is currently head of the National Agenda Commission that is charged with developing Jordan's reform agenda for the next ten years. Reform contacts are heartened that Muasher has been returned to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, with the explicit task of leading the reform effort. ¶B. Deputy Prime Minister for Political Development Hisham al-Tel: (U) A Muslim, East Banker, al-Tel was born in 1943 in Irbid. Al-Tel earned a BA in Law from Damascus University in 1964. Upon graduation, he practiced law until he was appointed as a judge at the Supreme Court of Justice in February 1991. He served as legal adviser to several ministries and public and private establishments. Al-Tel was appointed Minister of Justice by former PM Zaid Ben Shaker in 1994. He became chairman of the legislative board at the Prime Ministry on October 27, 2004, where he served until his appointment in April 2005 as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Political Development in the Badran cabinet. ¶C. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Karim al-Malahmeh: (U) A Muslim East Banker, al-Malahmeh was born in Karak in ¶1952. He holds a BA in sociology from the University of Baghdad and law degree from Beirut Arab University. Malahmeh joined the Interior Ministry as a civil servant in 1975, and was appointed director of the AI District in Karak in 1979. After holding positions in several governorates over ten years, he became governor of Tafileh in 1995, Madaba in 1996, Aqaba in 1997, and Irbid in 1999. He was named Amman governor in 2002, a post he held until his appointment as minister. ¶D. Minister of Culture Ameen Mahmoud: (U) A Muslim West Banker, Mahmoud was born in Bethlehem in ¶1940. He earned a BA in history from Cairo in 1960, and an MA and PhD in Contemporary History from Georgetown University in 1972. He was a fellow at Georgetown from 1960-1972 and served as a Jordan University history professor and head of department from 1981-1982. Mahmoud was director of Hebrew Studies at Jordan University and a history professor at the University of Kuwait until August 1990, and appointed President of the Jordan University for Women in 1991. He was appointed Minister of Culture in 1993, and then President of Amman National University in 1995. ¶E. Minister of Finance Adel al-Qudah: (U) A Muslim East Banker, al-Qudah was born in Salt in 1940. He holds a BA in business administration from Cairo University (1959) and an MA in public administration/public finance from the University of Southern California (1979). He served as General Director of the Customs Department in the Minister of Finance from 1982-1990, and General Director of the Income Tax Department from 1990-1991. Later that year he became director of the Audit Bureau, serving until he was appointed Minister of Supply in 1994. He held that position until 1996, when he became Chairman of the Executive Privatization Commission in the Prime Ministry, a job he has held until his appointment as Finance Minister. He is married and has four children. (C) Finance was a difficult position to fill in the aftermath of the resignation of Bassem Awadallah. Al-Qudah was not the first choice and something of a compromise. He is technically proficient, a team player, and philosophically understands economic reform issues. USAID reports a positive working relationship with Qudah during his tenure at the Privatization Commission, noting he has made significant strides towards privatizing services and state-owned enterprises in the face of strident domestic opposition to the plans. He has successfully created a privatization process that serves as a model for the region. Unlike Awadallah, he has cordial relations with Parliament, having shown skill in the past in negotiating with deputies on privatization issues. This track record may serve him well as he navigates a parliament hostile to necessary but unpopular fiscal reforms. ¶F. Minister of State Mohammad Najadat: (U) A Muslim East Banker, Najadat was born in 1939. He has a MA in military and administrative sciences. He served as an officer in the Jordan Armed Forces from 1957 until 1988 when he assumed the post of adviser at the Royal Court in the office of Prince Hassan, a post he held until 1993. Najadat was elected to the lower house of Parliament in 1993, representing the southern Badia district. He was appointed as Minister of State in al-Kabariti's cabinet in 1996. ¶G. Minister of Justice Abed Shakhanbeh: (U) A Muslim East Banker, Shakhanbeh was born in Madaba in ¶1950. He obtained his high school education in Raghadan School in Amman and his BA in law from Damascus University in ¶1971. He earned his MA in law from the University of Jordan in 1987 and his PhD from Cairo University in 1992. He worked in the Ministry of Justice from 1973 until 1992 when he was appointed secretary general of the Inspection and Control Department. He became director of the department in 1995. He was appointed Minister of State for Legal Affairs in Abu al-Ragheb's third cabinet in July 2003, and then served as an advocate and lecturer at Amman Private University. He was appointed Minister of State for Legal Affairs in Badran's Cabinet in April 2005. (C) Considered a safe choice, Shakhanbeh is generally seen as competent if colorless. We expect him to maintain a low profile in this cabinet. He has assured us -- prompted by the Royal Palace -- of his commitment to championing our substantial USAID program in the judicial sector, and to improving judicial assistance cooperation. ¶H. Minister of Agriculture Muzahem al-Muhaisen: (U) A Muslim East Banker, al-Muhaisen was born in Amman in ¶1948. He obtained a BSc in civil engineering from the Ein Shams University in Cairo in 1973. From 1973 to 1983, he worked as assistant to the head of the Aqaba Regulatory Commission. From 1986 to 1992, Muhaisen worked as head of the Land Department. He was Secretary General of the Aqaba Regional Authority from 1992 until 1997, after which he became Secretary General of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications until 1999. He was director general of the Vocational Training Corporation from 1999 until he was appointed Minister of Labor in Abu al-Ragheb's second cabinet reshuffle in October 2001. He was appointed Minister of Labor in Abu al-Ragheb's third cabinet in July 2003. ¶I. Minister of Government Performance Ruwaida al-Ma'aytah: (U) A Muslim East Banker, al-Ma'aytah was born in Karak in ¶1955. She obtained a BSc in nursing from the University of Jordan, MSc in public health from Tulane University in Louisiana, and a PhD in public health from Louisiana University. She served as Dean of the Nursing College at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, consultant to UNICEF, and a consultant to the United Nations Population Fund. She worked as a consultant to Princess Muna for Health and Social Development. Ma'aytah was appointed President of al-Hashimiyeh University in 2002 until she became Minister of Social Development later that year in PM Abul al-Ragheb's government. She was head of the National Council for Family Affairs prior to her posting as minister. She is married to Dr. Bashar Khasawneh and has two children. (C) Given her strong background in public health and social development, Ma'aytah seems miscast in this cabinet position. ¶J. Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther al-Shara'a: (U) A Muslim, East Banker, Shara'a was born in Husun in Irbid Governorate in 1950, and is a distant relative of the Syrian Foreign Minister. He graduated with a BA in economics and political science in 1972 from the Beirut Arab University. He obtained his Masters and PhD in economics and political science from the University of Wales. Shara'a lectured at Yarmouk University for 25 years and was appointed founder-dean of the economics faculty in the Hashemite University. Shara'a also served as a consultant for ESCWA, chairman of the accreditation board at the Ministry of Higher Education, and chairman of board of the Arab Society for Economic Research. He has written and published books and articles on economy. Shara'a served as Minister of Political Development in the Fayez cabinet from October 2004 until April 2005. He visited the U.S. in 1998 on a one-month program funded by the GOJ and visited several different states. In the past, Shara'a was a member of two "centrist" political parties, including the al-Dustori (Constitutional) Party, but he is no longer affiliated with any party. Shara'a is married and has two children. (C) Shara'a's lack of experience in water issues leaves many experts scratching their heads about this appointment. His performance as minister of the newly-created Ministry of Political Development from October 2004 until April 2005 was lackluster, and he is not seen as having the necessary political connections needed to sustain difficult decisions on sensitive water issues. -------------- THE COMPLETE CABINET -------------- ¶3. (U) The complete cabinet list follows: Prime Minister and Defense Minister Adnan Badran Deputy Prime Minister and Government spokesperson Marwan al-Muasher Deputy Prime Minister for Political Development Hisham al-Tel Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Karim al-Malahmeh Minister of Culture Ameen Mahmoud Minister of Finance Adel al-Qudah Minister of State Mohammad Najadat Minister of Justice Abed Shakhanbeh Minister of Agriculture Muzahem al-Muhaisen Minister of Government Performance Ruwaida al-Ma'aytah Minister of Water and Irrigation Munther al-Shara'a 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