Prime Minister Samir Rifai and his cabinet resigned on Tuesday (February 1st) following weeks of protest in Jordan demanded that he step down, Ammon News reported.

King Abdullah II appointed Maarouf al-Bakhit, a former prime minister, to take his place and ordered the new prime minister to "take practical, swift and tangible steps to launch a real political reform process". Al-Bakhit said he will need a few days to name new members to the cabinet. He was prime minister from 2005-2007 and also served as chief of national security.

The king wrote in a letter to al-Bakhit that he should "bolster democracy and proceed with nation-building".