Ministers’ resignation accepted as House readies to discuss Dead Sea incident report

AMMAN — A Royal Decree was issued on Sunday accepting the resignation of Education Minister Azmi Mahafzah and Tourism Minister Lina Annab, effective November 1, according to a Royal Court statement.  

Another Royal Decree was issued approving the appointment of Justice Minister Bassam Talhouni and Public Sector Development Minister Majd Shweikeh to direct the ministries of education and tourism respectively, as of November 1, the statement said. 

Mahafzah and Annab recently tendered their resignations to Prime Minister Omar Razzaz over the loss of life in the Dead Sea incident a week ago, when flashfloods resulted in the death of 21 people, mostly schoolchildren who were on a trip to the area.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary investigation committee headed by MP Abdul Muneim Odat, completed its report on the Dead Sea incident late Saturday night, and submitted it to Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The committee investigated a number of the Cabinet’s ministers and visited the Zarqa-Maeen Dam. 

The Chamber is expected to discuss the report and make its decision on the incident, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.