Usually, “Good” is not the adjective that springs to mind when most people think about politicians.
Unscrupulous, self-serving, incompetent, sure—but good? Not so much.
As Moroccan political landscape grows ever more polarized— ordinary Moroccans feel increasingly alienated from the political process—the conventional wisdom seems to be that when it comes to political officials, a good man is hard to find. As humorist Kin Hubbard once put it, “We’d all love to vote for the best man, but he’s never a candidate.” Still people in Morocco especially the young generation want to believe that there are a few good men in politics.
A new generation of Moroccan young politicians has emerged in Morocco. A generation that fully believes in King Mohammed’s vision to promote a new Morocco where democracy, rule of law, social justice and economic prosperity prevail. Some of those were the King’s classmates others have joined the Royal Cabinet after a successful passage through the government or major Moroccan corporations. Among those, Mr. Fouad Ali El Himma, King’s Advisor and former classmate. A man known for his loyalty and total integrity.
In 2007, Mr El Himma resigned from his job as deputy interior minister and announced his intention to run as an independent in the parliamentary election that year. Mr El Himma founded an anti-Islamist group, the Movement of All Democrats. Later and with the help of a group of Moroccan brilliant politicians, he created a new political party Authenticity and Modernity, known under its French acronyms PAM. The party’s rise, wrapping old political networks in new reformist rhetoric, started giving a new impetus to Moroccan politics. Since then Moroccan youth has started to be interested and engaged more in political debate and mobilization.
Apparently, a void was filled mainly with the growing dissatisfaction of Moroccans with their traditional political parties that resulted in a low turnout in 2002 legislative elections. Mr. El Himma and others felt the necessity and the obligation for the creation of a new political platform that will tackle issues of immediate interest to Moroccans and try to give a new political road map to resolve some of the serious political, economic and social issues that others failed to meet. After a while, Mr. el Himma decided to hand over the leadership of the party to other members known for their competitiveness and intellectual honesty.
Since the reform of the Constitution in 2011, King Mohammed VI has been expanding his team of advisers. Fouad Ali El Himma appears as the centerpiece of this device. He is of rare public appearance, but according to reliable media sources, Mr. El Himma is considered as King Mohammed’s right hand man in designing and implementing a dynamic policy that aims to promote a positive image of Morocco in various fields.
Both national and international media sources described him as a man with compelling ideas—and the ability and vision to turn those ideas into action. Many young Moroccans endorse everything he stands for. He can see beyond election cycle and has the political courage to lay the foundation for Morocco’s future success. A man willing to work in good faith with those from across the aisle in order to get things done. A man worth respecting for his integrity, his passion, and his ideas.
By Said Temsamani
