AMMAN/DUBAI (Reuters) - Jordan’s King Abdullah replaced his prime minister on Monday in a move to defuse the biggest protests in years over IMF-backed reforms that have hit the poor.

Government plans to lift taxes have brought thousands of people onto the streets in the capital Amman and other parts of Jordan since last week, shaking a U.S.-allied Arab country that has remained stable through years of regional turmoil.

King Abdullah appointed Omar al-Razzaz, a former World Bank economist, to form the new government after accepting Hani Mulki’s resignation, a ministerial source said. Razzaz was education minister in Mulki’s government.

While some celebrated the change of government, the head of the Professional Unions Association said a strike planned for Wednesday would go ahead unless the draft income tax law was withdrawn.

Police chief Major General Fadel al-Hamoud said security forces had detained 60 people for breaking the law in protests so far, and 42 security force members had been injured, but protests remained under control.

“Rest assured, Jordan is a safe and secure country, and things are under control,” said Major General Hussein Hawatmeh, head of the Gendarmerie security department, appearing along with Hamoud at a news conference.

Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel, has navigated years of instability at its borders, including wars in Iraq and Syria and conflict in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

But the instability has hit the economy of a country that is poor in resources and hosts close to 700,000 Syrian refugees. Unemployment among Jordanians stands at 18.4 percent, according to Jordan’s department of statistics.

Public anger has grown over government policies since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, both measures driven by the International Monetary Fund.

In a sign the tax hikes could be shelved, the official Petra news agency, citing the speaker of parliament, said lawmakers were on course to ask the king’s permission to hold an exceptional session, with a majority demanding the changes be withdrawn.

“For us, our cause is the draft income tax law. The individuals (in government) do not concern us if they change, we want to change the approach of the government,” said Ali al-Abous, head of the Professional Unions Association.

Demonstrators who have converged for nightly protests near the Cabinet office have said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month.

Razzaz is a Harvard-educated economist who served with the World Bank in both Washington and the region.

Officials said he had been an opponent of reforms that hurt the poor. His appointment nevertheless sends a positive message to foreign donors that Jordan will press ahead with reforms, though in a gradual way, they said.

“I believe they have time to amend the law, to withdraw the law and make a new one that is more of a middle ground between the public demands and what the government wants,” said Mufleh Aqel, a prominent Jordanian banker.

The IMF approved a three-year extended arrangement with Jordan in 2016 to support economic and financial reform to lower public debt and encourage structural reforms.

Jordan has backed down on reforms in the past, fearing a social backlash. Until Mulki’s government, the lifting of bread subsidies and tax changes have been pushed back repeatedly.

Jordan was rocked by unrest in 2012 when the IMF told the government to lift gasoline prices.

Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment. The tax increases had caused his popularity to plummet.

The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.

The government says it needs more funds for public services and argues that the tax changes reduce social disparities by placing a heavier burden on high earners. Opponents say a tough IMF-imposed fiscal consolidation plan has worsened the plight of poorer Jordanians and squeezed the middle class.

Jordan’s economy has struggled to grow in the past few years in the face of chronic deficits, as private foreign capital and aid flows have declined.</s>AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule.

Jordan is a staunch military and political ally of the West in a turbulent region, and any threat to the kingdom's stability is viewed with concern, particularly by neighboring Israel and by the U.S.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki's resignation came after several days of mass protests across Jordan against a planned tax increase, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control. The government has also raised prices for bread, electricity and fuel.

Many Jordanians feel they are being squeezed financially by a government they perceive as corrupt and aloof, and say they are not getting services for the taxes they are asked to pay.

It's not clear if the departure of the business-friendly Mulki will be enough to defuse growing public anger.

Government-linked media said Education Minister Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated reformer, has been tapped as Mulki's successor, though the choice was not officially confirmed.

Mulki is to serve as caretaker until his replacement has been named, the state news agency Petra said.

In meetings with Jordanian newspaper editors and journalists later Monday, the king promised reforms, saying the country must meet its challenges "away from the traditional approach," but did not give specifics.

Abdullah is the ultimate decision-maker on policy, but he has also positioned himself as a unifying force above the political fray. He has frequently reshuffled or disbanded governments as a way of quieting criticism.

His response to the current crisis fit that pattern.

In his comments Monday, he expressed sympathy for the protesters and the hardships faced by ordinary Jordanians, while criticizing the outgoing government, saying it had failed to explain the tax bill to citizens.

Yet he stopped short of saying he would meet protesters' demands for scrapping the bill.

Meanwhile, crowds began gathering late Monday near Mulki's office for the fifth straight evening of protests against the tax bill and the recent price hikes.

Protest organizer Ali Abous said a one-day strike set for Wednesday would still take place, despite the Cabinet changes.

"We want to change the path, not the individuals," said Abous, who heads an umbrella group for 15 unions and professional associations with half a million members.

Hatem Jarrar, a lawyer, said the resignation of Mulki is a "victory for the Jordanian people who demanded to topple the government," adding that protesters would keep pressing demands for rescinding the tax bill.

The recent protests were largely spontaneous, drawing many young people and members of the middle class, rather than being organized by traditional opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a show of non-violence, protesters raised their hands in the air as they were being pushed away from the prime minister's office by helmeted riot police.

Protest organizers have urged the king to cancel the tax plan, saying it disproportionately targets the poor and the middle class. The king has indicated he's willing to make concessions, saying earlier this week that Jordan's citizens cannot be expected to bear the entire burden of economic reform.

Jordan's government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Abdullah became king in 1999, taking over from his late father, Hussein, and has weathered a series of political crises. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, he promised political reforms, but instead tightened his rule after the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel's security Cabinet and retired general, told foreign journalists in a news conference Monday that it's in Israel's interest "that stability will go back to Jordan as soon as possible."</s>AMMAN, Jordan — Anti-government protests resumed in Jordan despite the resignation of the country’s prime minister who had led the push for unpopular austerity measures.

Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the office of outgoing Prime Minister Hani Mulki overnight and into early Tuesday, demanding the government scrap proposed tax increases which critics say mostly target the poor and the middle class.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Mulki resigned on Monday, as Jordan’s King Abdullah II tried to get a handle on the biggest protests in the kingdom in several years.

The monarch, who has the ultimate say on policy decisions, promised change, but gave no specifics on possible reforms.

Meanwhile, Mulki is to serve as caretaker.

Jordanian media, including the government-linked Al-Rai newspaper, widely reported Monday that the current education minister, Omar Razzaz, was tapped as Mulki’s successor. Razzaz had previously held senior positions in the World Bank and is considered a reformer.

Still, there has been no official announcement, and it was not clear when and if Razzaz would be appointed.

Protest organizers have said they seek real change, including a rescinding of the tax bill, and that personnel changes at the top are irrelevant without fundamental reforms. It’s not clear whether Mulki’s eventual replacement would have such a mandate.

In the march, which started late Monday, some of the protesters chanted, “No to Mulki, No to Razzaz.”

An umbrella organization for more than a dozen unions and professional organizations said it would go ahead with a planned one-day strike on Wednesday, while several other unions said they would suspend their protests to give the country a chance to solve its problems after the resignation of Mulki.

Jordan’s government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it’s believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Associated Press writer Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Jordan’s King Abdullah on Monday asked Omar al-Razzaz, a former World Bank economist, to form a new government after Hani Mulki resigned as prime minister following the country’s biggest protests in years, a ministerial source said.

The move appeared aimed at defusing popular anger over planned tax hikes that have brought thousands of people on to the streets in the capital Amman and other parts of Jordan since last week. Razzaz was education minister in Mulki’s government.

Jordan, a staunch US ally that has a peace treaty with Israel, has remained stable through years of regional turmoil.

Police chief Maj Gen Fadel al-Hamoud said security forces had detained 60 people for breaking the law during the protests and 42 security force members had been injured, but protests remained under control.

“Rest assured, Jordan is a safe and secure country, and things are under control,” said Maj Gen Hussein Hawatmeh, head of the Gendarmerie security department, appearing along with Hamoud at a news conference.

Public anger has grown over government policies since a steep general sales tax hike earlier this year and the abolition of bread subsidies, both measures driven by the International Monetary Fund.

Political sources earlier said Abdullah had summoned Mulki for an audience in the king’s palace.

In a sign the tax hikes could be shelved, the Petra news agency, citing the speaker of parliament, said lawmakers were on course to ask the king’s permission to hold an exceptional session, with a majority demanding the changes be withdrawn.

Mulki, a business-friendly politician, was appointed in May 2016 and given the responsibility of reviving a sluggish economy and business sentiment hit by regional turmoil. The tax increases have caused his popularity to plummet.

The protests widened on Saturday after Mulki refused to scrap a bill increasing personal and corporate taxes, saying it was up to parliament to decide.

Demonstrators who have converged near the Cabinet office have said they would disband only if the government rescinded the tax bill it sent to parliament last month.

Unions representing tens of thousands of employees in both the public and private sectors have also called for a general strike on Wednesday after their demands for the Bill to be scrapped were rejected by the government.

The government says it needs more funds for public services and argues that the tax changes reduce social disparities by placing a heavier burden on high earners. Opponents say a tough IMF-imposed fiscal consolidation plan has worsened the plight of poorer Jordanians and squeezed the middle class.

Jordan’s economy has struggled to grow in the past few years in the face of chronic deficits, as private foreign capital and aid flows have declined.

Protesters have also criticised politicians for squandering public funds and corruption. – Reuters</s>AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule.

Jordan is a staunch military and political ally of the West in a turbulent region, and any threat to the kingdom's stability is viewed with concern, particularly by neighboring Israel and by the U.S.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki's resignation came after several days of mass protests across Jordan against a planned tax increase, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control. The government has also raised prices for bread, electricity and fuel.

Many Jordanians feel they are being squeezed financially by a government they perceive as corrupt and aloof, and say they are not getting services for the taxes they are asked to pay.

It's not clear if the departure of the business-friendly Mulki will be enough to defuse growing public anger.

Government-linked media said Education Minister Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated reformer, has been tapped as Mulki's successor, though the choice was not officially confirmed.

Mulki is to serve as caretaker until his replacement has been named, the state news agency Petra said.

In meetings with Jordanian newspaper editors and journalists later Monday, the king promised reforms, saying the country must meet its challenges "away from the traditional approach," but did not give specifics.

Abdullah is the ultimate decision-maker on policy, but he has also positioned himself as a unifying force above the political fray. He has frequently reshuffled or disbanded governments as a way of quieting criticism.

His response to the current crisis fit that pattern.

In his comments Monday, he expressed sympathy for the protesters and the hardships faced by ordinary Jordanians, while criticizing the outgoing government, saying it had failed to explain the tax bill to citizens.

Yet he stopped short of saying he would meet protesters' demands for scrapping the bill.

Meanwhile, crowds began gathering late Monday near Mulki's office for the fifth straight evening of protests against the tax bill and the recent price hikes.

Protest organizer Ali Abous said a one-day strike set for Wednesday would still take place, despite the Cabinet changes.

"We want to change the path, not the individuals," said Abous, who heads an umbrella group for 15 unions and professional associations with half a million members.

Hatem Jarrar, a lawyer, said the resignation of Mulki is a "victory for the Jordanian people who demanded to topple the government," adding that protesters would keep pressing demands for rescinding the tax bill.

The recent protests were largely spontaneous, drawing many young people and members of the middle class, rather than being organized by traditional opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a show of non-violence, protesters raised their hands in the air as they were being pushed away from the prime minister's office by helmeted riot police.

Protest organizers have urged the king to cancel the tax plan, saying it disproportionately targets the poor and the middle class. The king has indicated he's willing to make concessions, saying earlier this week that Jordan's citizens cannot be expected to bear the entire burden of economic reform.

Jordan's government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Abdullah became king in 1999, taking over from his late father, Hussein, and has weathered a series of political crises. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, he promised political reforms, but instead tightened his rule after the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel's security Cabinet and retired general, told foreign journalists in a news conference Monday that it's in Israel's interest "that stability will go back to Jordan as soon as possible."</s>AMMAN, Jordan -- Jordan's King Abdullah II on Monday accepted the resignation of his embattled prime minister and reportedly tapped a leading reformer as a successor, hoping to quell the largest anti-government protests in recent years, which are also seen as a potential challenge to his two-decade-old rule.

Jordan is a staunch military and political ally of the West in a turbulent region, and any threat to the kingdom's stability is viewed with concern, particularly by neighbouring Israel and by the U.S.

Prime Minister Hani Mulki's resignation came after several days of mass protests across Jordan against a planned tax increase, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control. The government has also raised prices for bread, electricity and fuel.

Many Jordanians feel they are being squeezed financially by a government they perceive as corrupt and aloof, and say they are not getting services for the taxes they are asked to pay.

It's not clear if the departure of the business-friendly Mulki will be enough to defuse growing public anger.

Government-linked media said Education Minister Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated reformer, has been tapped as Mulki's successor, though the choice was not officially confirmed.

Mulki is to serve as caretaker until his replacement has been named, the state news agency Petra said.

In meetings with Jordanian newspaper editors and journalists later Monday, the king promised reforms, saying the country must meet its challenges "away from the traditional approach," but did not give specifics.

Abdullah is the ultimate decision-maker on policy, but he has also positioned himself as a unifying force above the political fray. He has frequently reshuffled or disbanded governments as a way of quieting criticism.

His response to the current crisis fit that pattern.

In his comments Monday, he expressed sympathy for the protesters and the hardships faced by ordinary Jordanians, while criticizing the outgoing government, saying it had failed to explain the tax bill to citizens.

Yet he stopped short of saying he would meet protesters' demands for scrapping the bill.

Meanwhile, crowds began gathering late Monday near Mulki's office for the fifth straight evening of protests against the tax bill and the recent price hikes.

Protest organizer Ali Abous said a one-day strike set for Wednesday would still take place, despite the Cabinet changes.

"We want to change the path, not the individuals," said Abous, who heads an umbrella group for 15 unions and professional associations with half a million members.

Hatem Jarrar, a lawyer, said the resignation of Mulki is a "victory for the Jordanian people who demanded to topple the government," adding that protesters would keep pressing demands for rescinding the tax bill.

The recent protests were largely spontaneous, drawing many young people and members of the middle class, rather than being organized by traditional opposition groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood.

In a show of non-violence, protesters raised their hands in the air as they were being pushed away from the prime minister's office by helmeted riot police.

Protest organizers have urged the king to cancel the tax plan, saying it disproportionately targets the poor and the middle class. The king has indicated he's willing to make concessions, saying earlier this week that Jordan's citizens cannot be expected to bear the entire burden of economic reform.

Jordan's government is under pressure from the International Monetary Fund to carry out economic reforms and austerity measures to rein in growing public debt.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighbouring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees several years ago. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 per cent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

Abdullah became king in 1999, taking over from his late father, Hussein, and has weathered a series of political crises. During the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, he promised political reforms, but instead tightened his rule after the outbreak of violent conflicts in the region, including in Syria.

Yoav Gallant, a member of Israel's security Cabinet and retired general, told foreign journalists in a news conference Monday that it's in Israel's interest "that stability will go back to Jordan as soon as possible."</s>AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday appointed a new prime minister, the royal palace said, naming a leading reformer as head of government in hopes of quelling the largest anti-government protests in recent years.

Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a Harvard-educated former senior World Bank official, replaced Hani Mulki, who quit Monday amid widening protests against his government's austerity program, including a planned tax increase. Razzaz served as education minister in the outgoing Mulki government.

The king retains final say on all policy issues, and presumably would also define the parameters of any economic and political reforms sought by Razzaz.

In the appointment letter addressed to Razzaz, the monarch called on the new government to conduct a comprehensive review of the tax system and produce a new tax bill, in cooperation with parliament, unions and other groups.

He also expressed empathy for ordinary Jordanians who have long complained that they are being asked to pay taxes for poor services. Critics say the current tax proposal unfairly targets the poor and the middle class.

It's not clear if the appointment of Razzaz will defuse the growing public anger over a political and economic system widely perceived as corrupt and exclusionary, with benefits reserved for small elites.

Jordanian analyst Helmi Asmar said that it remains to be seen if Razzaz will receive a reform mandate. "Is he the one to run the country, or the old machine and the old system?" he asked.

"We hope for the good, but until now we haven't seen enough signs to be optimistic," said Asmar, who writes for the Ad Dustour newspaper.

Protest organizers said they would keep up the pressure, including a one-day strike set for Wednesday, until the tax proposal has been shelved. On Tuesday evening, hundreds of demonstrators began gathering near the prime minister's office for the seventh consecutive street protest.

The embattled Mulki, who had led the push for the unpopular austerity measures, resigned following several days of mass protests across Jordan against the tax plan, the latest in a series of economic reforms sought by the International Monetary Fund to get the rising public debt under control.

The kingdom has experienced an economic downturn in part because of prolonged conflict in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and a large influx of refugees in recent years. The official unemployment rate has risen above 18 percent, and it's believed to be double that among young Jordanians.

In a sign of continued unrest, protests continued even after Mulki's resignation. Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the prime minister's office in the night from Monday to Tuesday.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Protesters said personnel changes at the top are irrelevant without fundamental reforms.

Razzaz holds a doctorate in planning and a post-graduate degree in law from Harvard. He taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 2002 to 2006. From 2006-2010, he served as the World Bank's country manager in Lebanon, with emphasis on private sector development and infrastructure finance.

Razzaz then returned to Jordan to head the Social Security Corporation, and from 2011-12, led the national team responsible for preparing a national employment strategy.

Associated Press writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.</s>AMMAN: Hundreds of Jordanians demonstrated in the capital Amman for a third consecutive day yesterday against price hikes and an income tax draft law driven by IMF recommendations to slash its public debt. Protests have gripped the country since Wednesday, when hundreds flooded the streets of Amman and demonstrated in other cities at the call of trade unions, to demand the fall of the government.

 Last week the government adopted an income tax draft law, yet to be approved by parliament, aimed at widening the country’s tax base and reaping 300 million dinars ($420 million, 360 million euros) for the treasury each year. It is the latest in a series of economic reforms since Amman secured a $723-million three-year credit line from the International Monetary Fund in 2016.

 The loan, intended to support economic and financial reforms, has the long term objective of reducing Jordan’s public debt from about 94 percent of GDP to 77 percent by 2021. “This will be accomplished through reforms to bolster economic growth and gradual fiscal consolidation,” the IMF says on its website. Prices have steadily risen in recent years in Jordan, a country of 9.5 million which is burdered by poverty and unemployment, since January.

On Thursday, the government announced it would raise fuel and electricity prices from Friday, sparking protests across the country. It later froze its decision under orders from King Abdullah II. But Friday night, hundreds of protesters were back on the streets outside the prime minister’s office in Amman, calling for the government to fall, AFP reporters said. Some demonstrators blocked roads with their cars, while others held signs reading: “The people of Jordan will not kneel”.

 Protests hit in several other cities, including Irbid and Jarash in the north, Zarqa in the east, and the southern city of Maan, which was rocked by deadly riots in the late 1980s over rising food prices. Police said some demonstrators overnight “attacked” law enforcement agents and “tried to attack public and private property”. They warned they would resort to force if necessary. Under the proposed new law, anyone with an annual income of 8,000 dinars or above would have to pay income tax, while businesses would face steep tax increases. Evaders would be heavily fined.

 A majority of deputies — 78 out of 130 MPs-issued a statement Friday saying they would vote against the draft legislation. They said the income tax law does not serve the economic and social interests of the people. Trade union representatives were due to meet with Prime Minister Hani Mulki to demand that he revoke the bill or face further protests, said the president of the country’s trade union federation, Ali Obus. – AFP</s>The Latest: Jordan's king names new PM as protests continue

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The Latest on the crisis in Jordan (all times local):

Jordan's King Abdullah II has appointed Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a leading reformer and former senior World Bank official, as the country's new prime minister.

The royal court announced the appointment on Tuesday.

Razzaz will replace Hani Mulki, who resigned Monday amid widening protests over the government's austerity measures, including a planned tax increase.

Despite Mulki's resignation, daily street protests continued, with organizers saying they would not quit until the tax bill has been scrapped.

Razzaz served as education minister in the outgoing Mulki government. The king has the final say on all policy issues, and it's not clear how much of a reform mandate Razzaz will receive.

Anti-government protests have resumed in Jordan despite the resignation of the country's prime minister who had led the push for austerity measures.

Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the office of outgoing Prime Minister Hani Mulki overnight and into early Tuesday, demanding the government scrap proposed tax increases which critics say mostly target the poor and the middle class.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Mulki resigned on Monday, as Jordan's King Abdullah II tried to get a handle on the biggest protests in the kingdom in several years.

The monarch, who has the ultimate say on policy decisions, promised change, but gave no specifics on possible reforms.</s>The Latest: Jordan's king names new PM as protests continue

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The Latest on the crisis in Jordan (all times local):

Jordan's King Abdullah II has appointed Cabinet member Omar Razzaz, a leading reformer and former senior World Bank official, as the country's new prime minister.

The royal court announced the appointment on Tuesday.

Razzaz will replace Hani Mulki, who resigned Monday amid widening protests over the government's austerity measures, including a planned tax increase.

Despite Mulki's resignation, daily street protests continued, with organizers saying they would not quit until the tax bill has been scrapped.

Razzaz served as education minister in the outgoing Mulki government. The king has the final say on all policy issues, and it's not clear how much of a reform mandate Razzaz will receive.

Anti-government protests have resumed in Jordan despite the resignation of the country's prime minister who had led the push for austerity measures.

Several thousand Jordanians marched toward the office of outgoing Prime Minister Hani Mulki overnight and into early Tuesday, demanding the government scrap proposed tax increases which critics say mostly target the poor and the middle class.

Riot police scuffled with some of the marchers, trying to keep them away from the building, but the fifth street protest in as many days was largely peaceful.

Mulki resigned on Monday, as Jordan's King Abdullah II tried to get a handle on the biggest protests in the kingdom in several years.

The monarch, who has the ultimate say on policy decisions, promised change, but gave no specifics on possible reforms.
Hani Al-Mulki resigns as Prime Minister of Jordan following protests against economic reforms.