King Abdallah II nominated his 15-year old son, Prince Hussein, as heir to the throne, ending five years of speculation as to the identity of his designated successor. According to Jordan`s constitution, Hussein, whose glasses and gentle appearance have led Jordanians to nickname him “Harry Potter”, can become King only at the age of 18. Considering that teenagers mature slowly nowadays, and that the young prince is expected to follow a family tradition of distinguished academic studies and tough military training, it is unlikely that Prince Hussein will be ready to assume any serious royal responsibilities during the coming decade. This raises a question that bears potentially worrisome implications for the Hashemite Kingdom: King Abdallah is a healthy, popular and skillful leader, but what would happen in Jordan if anything happens to him in the near future? The late King Hussein was well aware of the fragility of his kingdom, and that it required an able heir to be ready to assume his duties at all times. That was the prime reason he amended the constitution in 1965 and appointed his brother Hasan to the post of Crown Prince, instead of his son Abdallah, an infant at the time. On January 24, 1999, on his death bed and nursing grudges against his brother, Hussein replaced him with his now-adult son. Hussein`s last command to Abdallah was that he appoint his 18-year old half-brother Hamza as heir to the throne. It was an emotional command: Hamza was Hussein`s favorite son, described by him in his farewell letter to Prince Hasan as the boy who "has been envied since childhood because he was close to me". But not only emotions were involved. Hussein, a sophisticated politician, recognized the need for Abdallah to appoint an heir who would be ready to assume the responsibilities of the crown almost instantaneously if needed. King Abdallah obeyed his father`s command and appointed Hamza as his heir. Yet in 2004 he "excused" Hamza from his position. No confrontation between the two had apparently ensued, nor were health considerations considered to be a factor in Hamza’s removal as designated heir. By all appearances, Hamza remained loyal to his half-brother. Jordanian and Arab analysts suggest that Abdallah`s motivation was simply that of a proud father who wished to see, one day, his son wearing his crown. But the direct implication of Abdallah`s moves is that in the next decade, the Kingdom`s political stability is tied to his own fate.
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