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| The dissolution of parliament comes on the eve of an opposition rally to demand reform |
Jordan's
king has dissolved parliament, paving the way for early elections, says the
state's official news agency.
The royal
decree follows Abdullah II's pledge to bring in political reforms aimed at
avoiding anti-government unrest in the wake of the Arab Spring.
Jordanians
have been pressing for a greater say in how their country is run and demanding
corruption be tackled.
Jordan's
Muslim Brotherhood said in July its political party, the Islamic Action Front,
would boycott the polls.
The group
has called for the monarch's powers to be curtailed, and for an overhaul of the
parliamentary system in which the prime minister is appointed by the king
rather than elected. It has said it would boycott polls until such measures
were introduced.
King
Abdullah said recently a new parliament would elect a prime minister early next
year.
Fears of
confrontations
Ahead of
Thursday's announcement from the royal palace, the Muslim Brotherhood said the
"Friday to Rescue the Nation" rally to demand reforms would go ahead
in central Amman on Friday.
"We
are talking about a new phase after 20 months of continued popular protests and
unwillingness to listen to our demands for reform," Zaki Bani Rusheid, the
deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood, told Reuters of the rally.
"We
are calling for real reforms that restore power to Jordanian people and curb
the powers of those who have seized power and influence for decades."
So far,
protests in Jordan have been more peaceful than elsewhere in the region.
But counter-demonstrations
planned by pro-government groups for Friday have prompted concerns of violent
confrontations.
The royal
decree gave no date for the elections, but King Abdullah had previously said he
wanted fresh elections by the end of 2012.
Jordan's
constitution stipulates that the cabinet must resign within a week of the
parliament's dissolution.
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