Abdelilah Benkirane, the Secretary General of the opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD), has strongly responded to Morocco’s Head of Government’s latest criticism of the PJD’s “failure” to preempt many of the country’s current crises.
Benkirane, who was Morocco’s head of government from November 2011 to April 2017, hit back at Aziz Akhannouch’s recent remarks in a 30-minute Facebook live.
Akhannouch had accused PJD of mismanaging the energy crisis caused by Algeria’s decision to terminate the contract of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline.
Algeria ended the pipeline’s contract in October of last year, accusing Morocco of hostility against its security and stability. The halt of the pipeline contract followed Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Morocco in August of last year.
In comments he made on Monday while responding to a question from a PJD MP, Akhannouch claimed the former ruling party’s “failure” to proactively deal with that episode heralded the energy crisis the current government is now trying to tackle.
Read also: Akhannouch Says Morocco’s Economy Has Been Resilient Despite Global Crises
He also argued that the PJD’s decade-long governance was largely underwhelming on many fronts, and that the party’s leadership should show more understanding as the current government strives to do what PJD’s governance “could not achieve in ten years.”
In response to the accusations from the Head of Government, Benkirane described Akhannouch’s remarks as “irresponsible” and “unacceptable.”
“This is an irresponsible statement. It is either something you came up with or it is something that an idiot told you because there are sovereign matters,” Benkirane said.
He cited statements from Morocco’s National Office for Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), reassuring citizens that Algeria’s decision would have no significant impact on the performance of the national electricity system.
“Are you sure about what you are accusing people of or you are just throwing claims for the sake of it? This is a sensitive statement…you are giving our enemies’ an opportunity to exploit such remarks,” Benkirane argued.
The PJD’s Secretary General also took issue with Akhannouch’s account of the underlying causes of Morocco’s ongoing economic crisis.
Akhannouch had lashed out at critics of his government’s performances, saying that his cabinet does not have a “magic wand” to resolve all ongoing crises.
“You are asking others to do what you could not do in ten years,” he said on Monday, stressing that PJD is responsible for the increase in fuel prices as Benkirane supported the liberalization of the energy sector when he was head of government.
Read also: Akhannouch to PJD: ‘You Expect Others To Achieve What You Could Not Do Ten Years’
In response, Benkirane described Akhannouch’s accusation as “unreasonable and inappropriate.” He also accused fuel companies of benefiting from MAD 17 billion “without being held accountable.”
As Akhannouch owns Afriquia, one of Morocco’s leading energy companies, Benkraine said the head of government was among “happiest people” after the liberalization of the energy sector. “What changed now?” Benkirane quipped, ironically recalling Akhannouch’s satisfaction with the PDJ-led government’s liberalization of the sector.
While conceding that Morocco’s energy market was indeed liberalized while PJD was in power, Benkirane argued that Akahnnouch was in league with energy firms to push for the liberalization and make more profits. He said: “Let us say that it is us who liberalized the energy sector… is it still reasonable to see the government’s role… with whining and crying?”
In his Monday’s statement, Akahannouch was adamant that the PJD’s resounding failure in last year’s elections was a telling indication of Moroccans’ “disappointment” with the party. But Benkirane hit back at that claim, too, saying: “This is a shame. How dare you brag about securing the majority of votes?”
