King Hussein responded to the protests by sacking Al-Rifai, lifting martial law that had been in place since 1957, and resuming parliamentary elections that had been paused since 1967.
The King also appointed a royal commission to draft the National Charter, a document with a timetable for reforms and democratization acts.
[2] Jordan's disengagement from the West Bank (renouncing claim of sovereignty and cutting administrative links) the previous year in July 1988, proved to be depressing for the economy.
[3] An IMF statement read: "Jordan agreed to strengthen foreign reserves, reduce inflation through tight credit policies and improve the current account balance.
[3] The IMF agreement was to enable Jordan to reschedule its $6 billion debt, and obtain loans totaling $275 million over 18 months.
[3] On 18 April, riots from Ma'an spread to other southern towns like Al-Karak and Tafila, where The New York Times reported that around 4,000 people gathered in the streets and clashed with the police.
[2] In May 1989 just before the elections, Hussein announced his intentions of appointing a 60-person royal commission to draft a reformist document named the National Charter.