Moroccan Parliament prepares for a new prime minister

2007-09-19

King Mohammed VI called meetings Thursday (September 13th) with the leaders of all parties which won more than 20 seats in the upcoming Parliament. The consultations are intended to aid the monarch in appointing the country's next prime minister. Some parties held their own meetings to determine the new legislature's political landscape.

By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 17/09/2007

[Naoufel Cherkaoui] King Mohammed VI meets with Justice and Development Party Secretary-General Saâd Eddine El Othmani.

As part of his consultations to choose the country's new prime minister, Moroccan King Mohammed VI received on Thursday (September 13th) the leaders of parties which won more than 20 seats in the recent legislative elections. Some parties have used the opportunity to solidify their plans and form new alliances.

Abbas El-Fassi, Secretary-General of the conservative party Istiqlal, which will have 52 seats in the coming Parliament, told a local paper on September 14th, "Today I'm in a position that makes it likely for the current majority to form the forthcoming government. I'm not discussing any other possibilities."

El-Fassi dismissed the possibility of participation by the Justice and Development Party (PJD), which took the second largest number of seats, in the forthcoming government. "It's a matter of principle: we will not see the Istiqlal Party and the PJD in the same government," he added. El-Fassi said the Islamist party "crossed the line" when it characterised Moroccan politics as divided between the PJD and the "dirty" parties.

El-Fassi also dismissed the inclusion of the Constitutional Union Party, which took the sixth highest number of seats. "That party is on the right while the current majority is centre-left," he said. Commenting on the news that he might form the new government, he said, "We have to wait for the king's decision. Each member of our party's executive office is fit to be its Secretary-General and is also fit to be Prime Minister."

Mohamed El-Yazghi, Secretary-General of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), said after meeting with the king that his party is "committed to working within the framework of the Democratic Bloc."

The leaders of the parties forming the ruling coalition or Democratic Bloc, which is dominated by Istiqlal and USFP, held a secret meeting on September 12th, where they reportedly unified their positions regarding the next Prime Minister, likely to come from the Istiqlal Party.

PJD Secretary-General Sâad Eddine El Othmani said after his meeting with the king that his meeting focused on the parliamentary elections and their outcome, as well as the national political situation. He said the two had not discussed the possibility of his party's participation in the new government.

Mustafa El Mansouri, Secretary-General of the National Rally of Independents, which took 4th place in the elections with 38 seats, told Magharebia: "I think it is normal that the current government coalition form the forthcoming government unless the king decides otherwise, as the voters have again emphasized their confidence in that coalition that won 178 out of 325 seats." El Mansouri said his party is prepared to serve in the government or the opposition equally, in accordance with the public interest of the country.

When asked about the upcoming government, Party of Progress and Socialism leader Ismail El Alaoui told Magharebia, "The citizens have renewed their confidence in the group that has run public affairs. So, it is logical for such an alliance to continue. However, other considerations may be taken into account, and these may change that fact. I hope that this will not happen."

The Popular Movement Party (PMP) has entered into an alliance with the Democratic Social Movement, the Renewal and Equity Party, and the Environment and Development Party. This new 60-seat alliance could form a significant force in the House of Representatives.

The Moroccan public anxiously awaits the king's appointment of the prime minister. Local media have designated the following individuals as front-runners in the selection process: Housing Minister Toufiq Hjira and Transport Minister Karim Ghella, both of the Istiqlal Party; Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa, independent; and Minister Delegate to the Interior Ministry Fouad Ali El Himma, although El Himma has unequivocally ruled out such a possibility.

According to the Moroccan Constitution, only parties winning more than 20 seats are allowed to form parliamentary groups.

Since publication of this article, King Mohammed VI appointed Istiqlal Party leader Abbas El Fassi Morocco's new Prime Minister at a meeting Wednesday afternoon in Rabat's royal palace.