Editing Hussein of Jordan (section)

===1989 riots===
{{Main|1989 Jordanian protests}}

Jordan's disengagement from the West Bank led to a slowing of the [[Economy of Jordan|Jordanian economy]].<ref name="afb"/> The [[Jordanian dinar]] lost a third of its value in 1988, and Jordan's foreign debt reached a figure double that of its [[gross national product]] (GNP).<ref name="afb"/> Jordan introduced [[austerity]] measures to combat the economic crisis.<ref name="nytc"/> On 16 April 1989 the government increased prices of gasoline, licensing fees, alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes, between 15% and 50%, in a bid to increase revenues in accordance with an agreement with the [[International Monetary Fund]] (IMF).<ref name="nytc"/> The IMF agreement was to enable Jordan to reschedule its $6{{nbsp}}billion debt, and obtain loans totaling $275{{nbsp}}million over 18{{nbsp}}months.<ref name="nytc"/> On 18 April riots in [[Ma'an]] spread to other southern towns such as [[Al-Karak]] and [[Tafila]], where the ''[[New York Times]]'' reported that around 4,000 people gathered in the streets and clashed with the [[Public Security Directorate (Jordan)|police]],<ref name="nytc">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/21/world/jordan-s-revolt-is-against-austerity.html|title=Jordan's Revolt Is Against Austerity|work=The New York Times|author=Alan Cowell|access-date=1 September 2017|date=21 April 1989}}</ref> resulting in six protesters killed and 42 injured, and two policemen killed and 47 injured.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/27/world/hussein-goes-on-tv-and-vows-an-election.html|title=Hussein Goes on TV And Vows an Election|date=27 April 1989|agency=Reuters|work=The New York Times|access-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>

Despite the fact that the protests were triggered by a troubling economic situation, the crowds' demands became political.<ref name="afb">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rA689kk0lWEC&pg=PA25|page=25|title=Institutions and the Politics of Survival in Jordan: Domestic Responses to External Challenges, 1988–2001|author=Russell E. Lucas|publisher=SUNY Press|year=2012|isbn=978-0791483329}}</ref> Protesters accused Zaid Al-Rifai's government of rampant corruption and demanded that the martial law in place since 1957 be lifted and [[Elections in Jordan|parliamentary elections]] be resumed.<ref name="afb"/> The last parliamentary election had taken place [[1967 Jordanian general election|in 1967]], just before Jordan lost the West Bank, and when the parliament's tenure ended in 1971, no elections could be held due to the fact that the West Bank was under Israeli occupation, but the West Bank's status became irrelevant after Jordan's disengagement in 1988.<ref name="afb"/> Hussein relented to the demands by dismissing Al-Rifai, and appointed [[Zaid ibn Shaker]] to form a new government.<ref name="afb"/> In 1986 a new electoral law was passed, which allowed the reintroduction of parliamentary elections to proceed smoothly.<ref name="afb"/> The cabinet passed amendments to the electoral law that removed articles dealing with West Bank representation.<ref name="afb"/> In May 1989, just before the elections, Hussein announced his intention to appoint a 60-person royal commission to draft a reformist document named the National Charter.<ref name="afb"/> The National Charter sought to set a timetable for democratization acts.<ref name="afb"/> Although most members of the commission were regime loyalists, it included a number of opposition figures and dissidents.<ref name="afb"/> [[1989 Jordanian general election|Parliamentary elections]] were held on 8 November 1989, the first in 22 years.<ref name=N>[[Dieter Nohlen]], Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) ''Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I'', p.{{nbsp}}148 {{ISBN|0-19-924958-X}}</ref> The National Charter was drafted and ratified by parliament in 1991.<ref name="afb"/>