Rabat – Istiqlal Party’s Karim Ghellab on Monday was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives for the term of 2011-2016 from the first ballot.
Ghelleb obtained, during a plenary session in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution, 222 votes against 82 for his rival Mohamed Abou, of the National Rally of the Independents (RNI), while 16 ballot papers were annulled.
The session was delayed an hour and half, as a stormy debate was prompted over the constitutionality of Ghellab’s candidacy.
Many lawmakers said his candidacy is unconstitutional in the eyes of article 14 of the organic law of the House. He is the Equipment and Transport Minister in the outgoing government, while the article stipulates that the term of a member of the House of Representatives is incompatible with being member of government.
The MPs of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), traditional ally of the Istiqlal Party within the Democratic Koutla bloc, walk out from the session in protest against “violation of the Constitution,” referring to the abovementioned article.
The USFP opted for the opposition following the legislative elections of November 25.
During the polls of November 25, the Istiqlal party won 60 seats in the 359-seat Parliament, coming after the winning Justice and Development Party (PJD), which secured 107 seats.
Abdelilah Benkirane, PJD Secretary General, is designated to lead a government coalition, which includes along with his party the Istiqlal Party, the Popular Movement party (MP) and the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS).
