Abdullah also appointed Hani Mulqi as prime minister on Sunday to oversee elections.

The decision came after Jordan's parliament passed several amendments last month, giving King Abdullah more powers.

The changes give the king the right to make key appointments without any nomination process by the government or signatures from the Council of Ministers.

Critics say the move is a rollback of gains made during Arab Spring in 2011, when Abdullah promised reforms that would eventually limit his powers.

In 2015, the parliament passed an amendment that gave Abdullah the power to appoint and fire the heads of the army and intelligence services.

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