Jordanian minister resigns 24hrs after being sworn in

A Royal Decree was issued yesterday approving the resignation of the country’s newly appointed Minister for Transport Malek Haddad.

Haddad was appointed minister on Wednesday and was sworn in on the same day before King Abdullah along with a 30-member Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki.

Jordan’s Al-Ghad newspaper reported a source saying: “The Cabinet is reviewing the legal framework that allows for the title and pension to be withdrawn, given Haddad had withheld information from the government,” in this case, details of Haddad’s criminal record were withheld.

The reason behind Haddad’s resignation is thought to be a crime he committed in the 1980s, for which he spent five years in prison. In 1982, Haddad was convicted in connection to murder of his sister. She was murdered after she, a Christian, married a Muslim man.

Concerns have been raised about the vetting procedure for prospective parliamentarians given that known criminals have been allowed to pass through.