Jordan's Prime Minister Mr Ali Abu al-Ragheb announced his resignation today and was expected to submit it to King Abdullah shortly, a senior official said.
The official said Mr Abu Ragheb had told a cabinet meeting he was resigning and headed to the palace to meet the monarch, who was expected to ask him to stay on and form a new cabinet.
The official said the surprise move was to give Mr Abu Ragheb a new mandate ahead of parliamentary elections expected next September.
Mr Abu Ragheb formed his government in June 2000 with a mandate to rejuvenate the economy and attract foreign investment.
