His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday swore in eight cabinet members following a reshuffle of Jordan's government, headed by Prime Minister Adnan Badran.



The reordering of the government brings Marwan Muasher, former Royal Court minister, as deputy prime minister and government spokesperson. Muasher also will continue to head the steering committee for Jordan's National Agenda, a document currently being drafted that will serve as Jordan's roadmap for economic, social and political reform and set a timeframe for the realization of reform goals.



The former head of Jordan's Privatisation Commission, Adel Qudah, will assume the portfolio of finance minister. He replaces Bassem Awadallah, who resigned last month.
Badran also selected Amman Governor Abdul Karim Malahmeh to serve as minister of parliamentary affairs, replacing Hisham Tal. Tal, a former Higher Court judge and former justice minister, will continue his government service as deputy prime minister and minister of political development.



Other new ministers include: former minister of social development and former secretary general of the National Council on Family Affairs Rwaida Maaitah as minister of government performance; Munther Sharaa as minister of water and irrigation; former president of Petra University Amin Mahmoud as minister of culture; and former labor minister Mazahim Muhaisin as minister of agriculture. They replaced Abdullah Obeidat, Raed Abu Soud, Asma Khader and Yousef Shreiqi, respectively.



The reshuffled followed nearly two weeks of consultations on the reform process between Prime Minister Badran and parliamentarians.