JORDAN: REACTIONS TO PM NEGATIVE; CABINET SWORN IN

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 AMMAN 002791

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM PINR JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: REACTIONS TO PM NEGATIVE; CABINET SWORN IN

Classified By: Ambassador R. Stephen Beecroft per Reasons 1.4(b) and (d
)


1. (S//NF) SUMMARY: The appointment of Samir al-Rifa'i
on December 9 as Jordanian Prime Minister has been met by
largely negative reactions from Embassy contacts and domestic
media outlets. His ability to lead a new Cabinet has been
questioned by Jordanian officials, political and business
elites, Jordanian bloggers, and in the domestic press.


2. (S//NF) The Cabinet, sworn in today, is listed below,
and appears at first glance to be comprised largely of
individuals considered to be conservative and anti-reform
minded, particularly deputy prime ministers Nayef al-Qadi and
Rajai Muasher. Gauging from the presence of these two East
Bank hardliners, we are concerned that already-stalled
social, political, and economic reforms will be even further
stymied. General reactions are negative thus far--this
Cabinet is extremely reactionary and not a group expected to
promote a serious reform agenda. END SUMMARY.

THE RISE OF "SAMIR-ITHANI" ("SAMIR THE SECOND") : NEGATIVE
COMMENTARY FROM ALL SIDES
-------------- --------------


3. (S//NF) Elites in political circles are pointing to a
nickname that Jordanian bloggers have given the new
premier--"Samir-ithani" ("Samir the Second")--as an example
of the kind of negative dynastic family reputation that
precedes Rifa'i in Jordan. (Comment: Rifa'i's grandfather
and namesake was a political figure and served as premier
several times during his decades serving in various
government capacities. Zayd al-Rifa'i, the current premier's
father, served in various political roles as well as premier
several times during his 5-decade political career before
stepping down from his role in the Senate on December 12.
The nickname also appears to be an allusion intended to
mirror the King's name, Abdullah II, likening the Rifa'i
family to the royal family, whose lineage contains the
inheritance of names as well as titles. Senior Jordanian
officials made clear that the elder Rifa'i's resignation was
intended as damage control in response to concerns about the
family being in the executive and legislative branches of
government simultaneously. However, it seems to have done
little in alleviating public angst that the new prime
minister is not up to the task and that the Rifa'i family has
joined the ranks of political dynasties in Jordan. End
comment.) All contacts are concerned about the new premier's
lack of government experience, assume he is a puppet of his
father or family, or resent the appointment because it is
perceived to have been made based on the friendship between
the monarch and the prime minister, not on the premier's
professional qualifications.

THE NEW CABINET
--------------


4. (U) Rifa'i's new Cabinet, sworn in December 14,
consists of the following officials:

-Prime Minister and Minister of Defense: Samir al-Rifa'i

-Deputy PM and Minister of the Interior: Nayef al-Qadi **

-Deputy PM and Minister of State for Economic Affairs:
Dr Rajai Muasher ***

-Minister of Foreign Affairs: Nasser Judeh *

-Minister of Health: Dr. Nayef El Fayez *

-Minister of Political Development: Musa Ma'aytah *

-Minister of Justice: Ayman Odeh *

-Minister of Planning and International Cooperation: Dr
Ja'afar Hassan

-Minister of Finance: Dr. Mohammed Abu Hammour

-Minister of Labor: Dr. Ibrahim Omoush

-Minister of Communication and Information Technology:
Marwan Juma

-Minister of Media Affairs and Communication: Nabil
al-Sharif *

-Minister of Education: Ibrahim Badran

-Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research:

AMMAN 00002791 002 OF 003


Dr. Walid Ma'ani

-Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources: Dr. Khaled
Irani

-Minister of Environment: Hazem Malhas

-Minister of Trade and Industry: Amer al-Hadidi *

-Minister of Social Development: Hala Latouf *

-Minister of Tourism and Antiquities: Maha Khatib *

-Minister of Culture: Nabih Shuqum

-Minister of Public Sector Development: Imad Fakhoury

-Minister of Agriculture: Saed Masri *

-Minister of Transportation: Ala'a Batayneh

-Minister of Public Works and Housing: Dr. Mohammed
Obeidat

-Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs: Abd al-Salam
al-Abbadi

-Minister of Water and Irrigation: Mohammed Najjar

-Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs: Tawfiq
Khraishan

-Minister of State for Prime-ministerial Affairs: Jamal
al-Shamayleh

-Minister of State for Municipal Affairs: Ali al-Ghazawi


* - Incumbent under previous government

** - Incumbent as Interior Minister; promoted to Deputy PM

*** - New Deputy PM

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER BIOS
--------------

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior: Nayef al-Qadi


5. (C//NF) Qadi, a Muslim East Banker, was born in
Hawsha, near Mafraq, in 1944. He is the son of a prominent
sheikh from the Bani Khaled tribe. Qadi obtained his BA in
political science from Baghdad University. He is a career
diplomat with at least three decades of experience, primarily
in the Arab world, with tours in Iraq as DCM (1969-73),
London as Consul (1973-80),Representative to the Arab League
(1980-83),DCM in Beirut (1983-89),Ambassador to Qatar
(1989-93),and Ambassador to Egypt (1993-94). He was part of
the delegation that negotiated the Jordanian-Israeli peace
treaty. Qadi was appointed to the upper house of parliament
in 1997, where he served until being appointed Minister of
Interior (1998-2000). Qadi oversaw the closure of HAMAS's
Jordan office in 1999. Qadi has the reputation of being an
East Bank conservative par excellence, and is considered to
be anti-Palestinian as well as an outright opponent of
reform.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Economic
Affairs: Dr Rajai Muasher


6. (S//NF) Muasher was born 2 January 1944 to a wealthy
East Bank Christian family in Amman. He holds a BA in
business administration from the American University in
Beirut (1963) and a PhD in marketing and business from the
University of Illinois (1969). During 1970-74, Muasher
joined the Royal Scientific Society and served as director of
its economic department. Muasher headed the National Economy
Ministry (later the Ministry of Trade and Industry) during
1974-76 and headed that ministry again from 1985-87. In 1984
he established the Ahlia Financial Investment Company, which
eventually became the Jordan Ahli Bank, an institution that
claims to be the third largest in Jordan with regional
offices in Lebanon, Cyprus, and the West Bank. He served as
member of the upper house of parliament during 1993-2005.
Muasher is a member of the Jordan Banker's Association and on
the board of trustees for the King Hussein Cancer Foundation.
Muasher's is one of the most well known anti-reform
personalities in Jordan. Muasher is an associate of the
premier's father, Zayd al-Rifa'i, and is part of the East
Banker core that Zayd represented in the Senate.


AMMAN 00002791 003 OF 003



7. (S//NF) COMMENT. Initial reactions have been critical
of the ministerial lineup particularly because the premier
and his deputy prime ministers are considered to be
conservative East Bankers with little interest in advancing
reforms. Rifa'i, Qadi, and Muasher leading the group makes
the future of existing reform efforts in Jordan fairly bleak
and it is unclear to what extent the trio will prevent
additional efforts from yielding meaningful results. Samir
Rifa'i's appointment is unlikely to cause short-term damage
to the Jordanian-US relationship, but the trio's resistance
to social, political, and economic reforms is likely to cause
longer term difficulties. END COMMENT.
Beecroft