King Abdullah II of Jordan on Sunday named Abdul Ilah Khatib, a former foreign minister, as head of the country's independent elections commission, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

The financially and administratively independent six-member commission, which was formed following constitutional amendments, is tasked with overseeing and managing parliamentary polls and other elections called by the government.

The Jordanian leader has stressed on several occasions that the parliamentary elections will be held before the end of this year.