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Rabat – Former Istiqlal Party Secretary General (IP) Abbas El Fassi has slammed current IP Secretary General Hamid Chabat, blaming him for the party’s decline and the formation of the government in 2012.
El Fassi said in a statement entitled “Truth Statement,” issued on Tuesday that “what was stated by Chabat concerning the formation of the government in 2012 is false and not right.”
El Fassi commented on an excerpt of Chabat’s speech delivered last Saturday about “the conditions of government’s formation in 2012,” where Chabat said, “The Secretary General [Abbas El Fassi] announced that the IP’s executive committee members will decide to switch off their phones and not join the government coalition if a number of the IP’s demands are not met.”
“Among these demands was to obtain several important ministry portfolios, such as that of the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, and Logistics and other important sectors. Royal advisors Fouad Ali El Himma and the late Zoulikha Nasri paid a visit to the IP’s Secretary General at his house and handed him the list of the IP’s ministers,” Chabat claimed.
El Fassi continued his remarks in the statement saying, “I am the Secretary General who Chabat was referring to. I must confirm as IP’s former Secretary General that I honestly made lots of calls to form the government since the alternation government [of Abderhmane El Youssoufi from March 14th 1998 to September 6th 2000].”
“Concerning Abdelilah Benkirane’s government in 2012, I led the talks, accompanied by two members of the IP’s Executive Committee, after the unanimous decision of the IP’s National Council to join the government coalition in 2012,” El Fassi continued.
El Fassi emphasized that, in the “four governments that the IP led and participated in, we were careful to respect the constitution,” adding that “the IP considered its contribution to the Benkirane government creditable following [the competence] of the candidate ministries from the IP.”
“The IP led several ministries, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of traditional industry […] etc.” El Fassi stated. Thus, he adds “it is obvious that Chabat’s statement is false and incorrect and will not affect my credibility or the credibility of El Himma and late Nasri.”
El Fassi went on to conclude that “it is clear that the IP’s withdrawal from the government in 2013 was not understandable for the members of the IP and public opinion” and that many have noticed the aftermaths“the party’s withdrawal after the announcement of the results of the communal and legislative elections.”
Chabat also raised controversy this week for calling Mauritania a “Moroccan land” in a speech to the IP, prompting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue a statement emphasizing the country’s official stance on Mauritania’s territorial integrity.
Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane confirmed earlier today that he would be travelling to Mauritania. Though no further details were given regarding the reasons behind the trip, many suspect it would be in an effort to smooth things out with Mauritanian authorities following Chabat’s controversial statement.
