Jordanian king orders restructuring of security apparatus

On Monday Jordanian King Abdullah II, the supreme commander of the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF), ordered the restructuring of the kingdom’s internal security apparatus to “ensure enhanced security coordination, improve the quality of services provided to the public and mitigate the burden on the general budget.”

The king issued a letter to Jordanian prime minister, Omar Al-Razzaz, ordering the immediate merger of the Civil Defence Directorate and the General Directorate of the Gendarmerie into the Public Security Directorate.

The Jordanian monarch has also issued a decision appointing major general, Hussein Al-Hawatmeh, as director of public security and to refer the director of public security, Major General Fadil Al-Hamoud, and the director of civil defence, Major General Mustafa Al-Zabay’a, to retirement.

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Following a cabinet meeting held on Monday, Jordanian minister of state for media affairs, Amjad Odeh Al-Adaileh, announced that the prime minister has directed the interior minister and the head of the Legislation and Opinion Bureau to start taking the necessary measures regarding the amendment of laws and legislations related to these institutions.

Al-Adaileh pointed out that the government has recently merged institutions and restructured some independent bodies, in a bid to rationalise expenditures, control administration and improve government performance.