Why Hamid Chabat is distancing himself from Benkirane’s government?

Morocco World News with Maghreb Intelligence

Rabat, December 7, 2012

“By accepting minor ministerial posts in the Benkirane’s government, Abbas El Fassi has affected the Istiqlal’s chances in the next elections,” Hamid Chabat is alleged to have told his followers after he became the Secretary General of the Moroccan nationalist party.

Indeed, the new leader of the Istiqlal never misses an opportunity to undermine the coalition in which he has been for a year. His targets are the PJD and Abdelilah Benkirane and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) and Nabil Benabdallah. According to sources in the Istiqlal, Hamid Chabat is putting pressure on the Prime Minister in order to force him to shuffle the cabinet before the local and regional elections.

The members of the party know very well that they cannot win the elections with only minor ministries that have no impact on the population. During the negotiations for the formation of the current government, Abdelilah Benkirane did everything for the Ministry of Equipment to fall into the hands of his party.

“All rural roads, accesses and infrastructures are controlled by the ministry. The party who leads the ministry has a powerful leverage tool and can influence rural elites and politicians in small and medium towns” admits a former minister.

Another important department was lost by the Istiqlal in favor of PPS. It is the Ministry of Housing, given to Nabil Benabdallah. The holder of the portfolio also has a great power vis-à-vis real estate promoters who are the real party donors in the cities of the kingdom.

Today, Hamid Chabat knows the Istiqlal is trapped. Either he keeps his current ministers and is sure to fail in the election, or he increases the pressure on Benkirane, which may lead to the withdrawal of the party from the government. “At least, we’ll run in the elections as the opposition” says a former minister of the Istiqlal. Not sure if this is enough for the Istiqlal to win the next elections.

Edited by Louise Riondel