New Morocco government brings fresh faces

With the announcement of Morocco’s new cabinet, the PJD became the first Islamist party to govern the Arab world’s oldest monarchy.

By Siham Ali for Magharebia in Rabat

[AFP/Azzouz Boukallouch] King Mohammed VI and Crown Prince Moulay Hassan pose for an official portrait with the new cabinet on January 3rd.

After days of suspense, Morocco has a new government.

Negotiations between party leaders, Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, and the palace came to an end on Tuesday (January 3rd) with the announcement of 30 new cabinet ministers by King Mohammed VI.

In addition to head of government, the Justice and Development Party has eleven ministers, including the only woman – Bassima Hakkaoui as Minister of Solidarity, Women, Families and Social Development. The party made certain concessions to avert a breakdown in talks; notably, the key post of finance minister was relinquished to former ruling party Istiqlal.

Former PJD Secretary-General Saad-Eddine El Othmani will take over as foreign minister. Many are counting this decision as a victory for the new ruling party, as the “sovereign ministry” post has historically fallen within the palace’s jurisdiction.

The Islamist party also fielded the new government spokesman and ministers of justice, general affairs and governance, higher education, parliamentary relations and civil society, communication, and equipment and transport.

Istiqlal, who had fought for the transportation post, had to settle for finance, national education, energy, handcrafts, and the bureau in the prime minister’s office devoted to expatriate affairs.

The Popular Movement counts among its ranks the Minister of the Interior (Mohand Laenser) as well as the ministers of youth and sports, tourism, and office of public service and modernisation.

The Party for Progress and Socialism is proportionally the biggest winner, having obtained four ministerial posts with just 18 MPs: housing, health, culture, and labour and vocational training.

The palace, meanwhile, made four sovereign ministerial appointments. Three of these ministers held onto their old jobs: Minister for Habous and Islamic Affairs Ahmed Taoufik, Government General-Secretary Driss Dahak, and Minister-Delegate for National Defence Administration Abdellatif Loudiyi.

The palace also selected Charki Draiss as deputy to the Minister of the Interior, and Youssef Amrani as deputy to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

Finally, Aziz Akhannouch caused a stir by resigning from the National Rally of Independents and holding onto his post as Minister for Agriculture and Sea Fisheries.

After the official appointment ceremony, Abdelilah Benkirane issued remarks on the future of government reform.

“Every government needs the public’s support,” he said. “The time for action is now. We are going to work to strengthen current partnerships and to develop new ones, so that we can further establish Morocco’s position within the Maghreb, Arab, African and international context.”

Political analyst Mohamed Najimi said the PJD’s victory was not total, and that the lines of power in Morocco might be clearer than ever. Benkirane, he said, had spoken earlier about the king appointing only the Minister of Islamic Affairs, and yet the palace designated many more in Tuesday’s announcement.He also indicated to the press that greater transparency, confidence and incentives were needed to stimulate investment in Morocco, which is the keystone of the national economy.

“Certainly, the interior and foreign ministries were given to politicians, but deputies have also been appointed from within palace ranks. The two PJD and Popular Movement ministries will need to demonstrate what they are capable of doing to avoid the impression that the government has lost control of those departments,” he said.

Finally, Najimi questioned the apparent marginalisation of women in the current government, noting that Abbas El Fassi’s first administration in 2007 counted seven women, compared to just one today.