Juppe says backing Morocco’s democratic transition is a need

Lisbon, January 4, 2011 (MAP)

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe stressed on Wednesday the need to support the countries committed to the process of the democratic transition like Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan.

Morocco held parliamentary elections on November 25, the first after the adoption of the new constitution last July, which reinforces the powers of Prime Minister and the Parliament.

“We need to support countries in the process of transition by recalling some basic principles that we are attached to (…). The situation is clearly contrasted in these countries. For some, the transition is well progressing like in Morocco, Tunisia or Jordan, while in others the situation is more difficult,” said Alain Juppe at a press conference in Lisbon with his Portuguese counterpart Paulo Portas.

International scrutineers described as free and fair Morocco’s polls. Justice and Development Party (PJD) won the elections with 107 seats in the 395-seat House of Representatives. HM King Mohammed VI on Tuesday appointed the new cabinet, led by Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane.

“We cannot ask these countries to move towards more democracy, to organize free and transparent elections and then challenge the outcome of these elections on the grounds that these results do not please us,” said Juppé.

Previously, the top French diplomat, who was the guest of honour of the Portuguese ambassadors’ conference in Lisbon, said in a speech on this occasion that “we should not question motives and let the new governments, which were elected to embody the aspirations of peoples to freedom and democracy, the time to prove themselves.”