Omar Razzaz

Omar Razzaz (Arabic: عمر الرزاز‎; born 1 January 1961) was the Prime Minister of Jordan from 2018 to 2020. He was designated to form a new government on 5 June 2018 after his predecessor resigned as a result of widespread protests against IMF-backed austerity measures in the country.[1]

Omar Razzaz
عمر الرزاز
Razzaz in November 2018
42nd Prime Minister of Jordan
In office
14 June 2018 – 12 October 2020
MonarchAbdullah II
Preceded byHani Mulki
Succeeded byBisher Al-Khasawneh
Minister of Education
In office
14 January 2017 – 14 June 2018
Prime MinisterHani Mulki
Preceded byMohammad Thneibat
Succeeded byAzmi Mahafzeh
Personal details
Born (1961-01-01) 1 January 1961
Al-Salt, Jordan
Political partyIndependent
RelativesMunif Razzaz (father), Mu'nis Razzaz (brother)
Alma materHarvard University

Born in Al-Salt, Razzaz began his schooling in Amman, later continuing his studies abroad. He was director of several national and international institutions. He was Minister of Education in Hani Al-Mulki's government since 4 January 2017, before his designation as Prime Minister.

Early life

Razzaz was born in Al-Salt, Jordan, in 1961 to Lam'a Bseiso (1923–2011) and Munif Razzaz (1919–1984).[2] He was the second of three siblings, with an older brother and a younger sister. His Syrian-born parents' families had moved to Jordan separately in 1925. His mother Lam'a was a political and social activist in Jordan and Palestine and his father Munif was a physician and politician who was elected Secretary General of the National Command of the Syrian Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in 1965.[3] Munif was imprisoned multiple times by the Jordanian government in the 1950s and 1960s. During Munif's one-year imprisonment in 1963, Lam'a recalls that Omar at the age of two in 1963 used to stare at pictures of his father saying "I want him to come to me". Munif relocated to Iraq in 1977 and became a leading member of the Iraqi Ba'ath, but was later arrested as part of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge. King Hussein had advocated for Munif's release so he can return safely to Jordan, but President Saddam Hussein adamantly refused. Munif died in 1984 during his house arrest in Baghdad, his wife Lam'a claims he was assassinated by the Iraqi Ba'ath after his hypertension medicine was replaced with poison.[4]

Education

Razzaz was enrolled at AUB’s faculty of engineering from 1979 to 1981[5] and holds a master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).[6][7] Razzaz holds a PhD from Harvard University in Planning,[8] with a minor in Economics. He completed his post-doctorate at Harvard Law School.

Career

Razzaz was director of the World Bank in Lebanon between 2002 and 2006. He was director of Jordan's Social Security Corporation between 2006 and 2010. He also served as director of the Jordan Strategy Forum and Jordan's Ahli Bank.[9]

Minister of Education

In 2017, he joined Hani Mulki's government as Minister of Education. His tenure saw overhauls to Jordan's education system.[10]

Prime Minister

Razzaz appointed a new cabinet that included 16 members from the previous 28-minister government, this was criticized from the public as a complete overhaul of the cabinet was anticipated.[11] However, he included seven women as ministers, the largest female representation in the country's governments history.[11] Razzaz faced a tough task of balancing between international lenders and an angry public. Jordan's debt-to-GDP ratio is 96%, and an unemployment figure of 18.4%, the highest in 25 years.[12] Jordan's economic woes were brought by the turmoil spreading from the Arab Spring when it erupted in 2010.[12] Trade union figures, who lead the public protests, threatened to return to the streets if Razzaz does not deliver.[12] Razzaz has promised a more inclusive approach, but has also tried to lower expectations during meetings with legislators and trade union representatives. "There is no magic stick. There is no painkiller. This is a long path, a difficult path. But God willing, the target is clear and the leadership is united with the people in achieving it."[12] In his first cabinet meeting, Razzaz withdrew the income tax bill from Parliament, and promised to have deep discussions about it. The bill was the spark to the protests that led to his predecessor's ouster.[13] On 9 July 2018, Razzaz delivered his first policy statement to the House of Representatives, Jordan's lower house of Parliament.[14] On 19 July, Razzaz gained the confidence of the 130-member House with 79-49 votes.[15][16] A government in Jordan gains confidence by a majority vote (66 votes) in the lower house.[16]

On 3 October 2020, Razzaz tendered his resignation to King Abdullah II. The king had dissolved the Parliament of Jordan on 27 September and Razzaz was constitutionally obligated to resign within one week. Abdullah II asked Razzaz to stay on as a caretaker until he appointed a successor.[17] On 7 October 2020, the king appointed Bisher Al-Khasawneh as the new prime minister to oversee the upcoming elections, thus ending Razzaz's term as prime minister.[18]

See also

References
  1. "Jordan PM Hani al-Mulki resigns amid mass protests over tax bill". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  2. "Jordan's new Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz". June 4, 2018 – via www.reuters.com.
  3. Moubayed 2006, p. 316.
  4. "99 years since Munif Razzaz's birth: politician, intellectual, prisoner and father". 7iber (in Arabic). 19 December 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  5. "Another AUB figure wins the confidence to lead". American University of Beirut. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  6. "DUSP alum appointed prime minister of Jordan | MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning". dusp.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  7. "Omar Razzaz | MIT - Solve". SOLVE MIT. Retrieved 2018-06-04.
  8. "AKP newsletter" (PDF). The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Winter 1992. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  9. "Prime Minister Omar Razzaz's CV". Ro'ya. 5 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  10. "Jordan's new Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz". Reuters. 4 June 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  11. "New Jordanian cabinet has fresh faces but same old problems". The National. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  12. "Jordan PM Omar Razzaz caught between angry public, international lenders". The Indian Express. Associated Press. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  13. "Cabinet withdraws tax bill, says reforms vital". The Jordan Times. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2018-07-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. "Razzaz government wins vote of confidence after marathon debate". 20 July 2018.
  16. B.O.C., Business Optimization Consultants. "Jordan - Government - The Executive Branch". www.kinghussein.gov.jo.
  17. "Jordan's King Abdullah accepts prime minister's resignation". Al Jazeera. 3 October 2020. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020.
  18. https://www.reuters.com/article/jordan-government-primeminister/jordans-king-abdullah-appoints-palace-aide-bisher-al-khasawneh-pm-idUSL1N2GY1I6

Further reading
  • Moubayed, Sami M. (2006). Steel & Silk: Men and Women who shaped Syria 1900–2000. Cune Press. ISBN 978-1885942418.
Political offices
Preceded by
Hani Mulki		 Prime Minister of Jordan
2018–2020		 Succeeded by
Bisher Al-Khasawneh
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