AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah has named a prominent traditional politician as his new royal court chief to improve the throne's image with its main tribal power base, palace insiders said on Wednesday.Khalid Karaki, a former royal court adviser and a literary figure who headed state-run Jordan University, replaces Nasser Lozi, an liberal-leaning ex-minister with business credentials.Karaki's experience in tribal politics and engaging political groups is seen as an asset to the Western-educated monarch facing unprecedented demands from competing tribal, Islamist and liberal groups for curbs on his executive powers.The court is in effect a secretariat to the king, who holds most executive power in Jordan. He appoints cabinets, approves legislation and can dissolve parliament.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)