His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday designated Abdullah Ensour to head the new government.

The selection of the new premier was based on consultations between Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and MPs.

In the Designation Letter, King Abdullah said that Ensour’s designation to form a government comes as “a translation of a new approach that consolidates our democratic path on the basis of partnership and consultations with Lower House members.”

He added that this approach is what “we are seeking to enroot and support as one of the constants of our political system.”

The King also said the “foremost national priority is the continuation and intensification of all efforts to create a suitable environment and necessary tools to guarantee progress in and realise the aspired goals of the reform process, which we launched since we assumed our responsibility.”

His Majesty also outlined several national challenges that “require paying great attention to”, including strengthening and ensuring respect for the rule of law, continuing efforts to develop political life and taking effective measures to fight poverty.

His Majesty accepted Ensour’s resignation on Saturday. The resignation was initially submitted on January 27, but the premier and his team were kept in office in a caretaker capacity. According to the Constitution, the government must resign within 30 days after the elections.

In a thank-you letter to the outgoing government, His Majesty commended the PM for his “honest national effort which has had a positive impact on the nation’s path and on the cumulative positive work, particularly in terms of the government’s key role during the current phase.”

His Majesty said Ensour’s government “has shown commitment to implementing a number of necessary national measures emphasised in the Letter of Designation.” He cited government efforts towards “strengthening the national integrity system, forming a committee of local and international experts to review privatisation policies and transactions since 1989 and launching a national employment strategy with the aim of providing more job opportunities to the country’s promising youth”, among its achievements.

In his letter of resignation, Ensour said that his Cabinet had “continued to consolidate public freedoms and guarantee freedom of expression. It did not put any constraints on the press and professional associations’ freedoms.”

Ensour said his government responded to the economic challenges with “decisive steps” under a reform programme. “The government worked according to a rational and practical programme to rein in expenditure, freeze appointments, particularly in the run-up to the elections, and put a stop to all forms of squandering of public money.”