Casablanca - Morocco’s appointed Head of Government reaffirmed Sunday that the only obstacle preventing the formation of the government is Akhannouch’s condition to exclude Independence Party (PI).
Casablanca – Morocco’s appointed Head of Government reaffirmed Sunday that the only obstacle preventing the formation of the government is Akhannouch’s condition to exclude Independence Party (PI).
Since he was appointed by the Moroccan Monarch on October 10th to Head of the Government and the formation a coalition government, Abdelilah Benkirane’s numerous, widely publicized attempts, have met with no success. Benkirane was the Head of the Justice and Development Party which won the October 7th election with 125 votes.
The political scene in Morocco has become difficult and created several conditions that a number of political parties have presented to Benkirane, including the suggestion to exclude a political from the next government, an idea which he’s utterly rejected.
Aziz Akhannouch, Moroccan billionaire and newly elected Secretary-General of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), has made his participation in the government contingent on the exclusion of the PI, this at the time when Benkirane had already refused to form the government shortly after Salaheddine Mezouar resigned from the general secretariat of the party and when the preparations are underway to elect Akhannouch as the head of RNI.
Benkirane confirmed his position vis-à-vis Akhannouch’s condition in a press conference on Sunday following a meeting of PJD’s Council of the Regional Office. He added that this is the only obstacle blocking the government formation.
The appointed Head of Government asserted that other conditions are negotiable and manageable, except Akhannouch’s condition. He urged the members of his party to remain trustworthy and close to the citizens.
Hamid Chabat, the Secretary General of the Independence Party, revealed earlier that the reason behind the RNI’s firm demand to eliminate his party is that he was behind foiling an attempt at a “political coup” orchestrated by the Secretary-General of Authenticity and Modernity Party, Ilyass El Omari, and other party leaders via a letter sent to King Mohammed VI shortly after the elections results were announced, informing him that none of the parties wanted to join a government led by the PJD.