THE PENINSULA Qatar
AFP
RABAT: Morocco’s Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane yesterday defended his decision to include only one woman in his 30-member cabinet, saying what counted was competence.
“There is no reason to be outraged,” Benkirane told journalists after his first cabinet meeting. “I can assure you that there was no intention to exclude women from this government.”
“What we need more than anything are competent people. Parties have tried (to find women politicians) but it’s not easy,” he said. Bassima Hakkaoui, minister for solidarity, women, family and social development, is the only woman among the ministers named by King Mohammed VI on Tuesday. Benkirane has been criticised, notably by women’s associations, for his government’s lack of female representation.
“As far as our (moderate Islamist Justice and Development) party is concerned there were 14 women candidates to become minister to start with. One has been considered. You see, it’s not easy,” he said. The PJD is the first Islamist party to run the Arab world’s oldest monarchy, with its 30-minister government including 24 new faces. The party holds the largest number of portfolios in the new government with 12, including the justice ministry, formerly one of the “sovereign ministries” the monarch would hand to close aides not necessarily affiliated to any party.
Olmert indicted in property scandal
JERUSALEM: Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert was yesterday indicted alongside a number of other people for allegedly taking bribes in a massive property scandal, court officials said.
The allegations stem from Olmert’s tenure as Jerusalem mayor and will add to the woes of the former premier, who is already on trial on three unrelated counts of fraud and bribery.
Olmert is accused of accepting bribes to smooth the way for the construction of the huge Holyland residential complex in Jerusalem during his tenure as mayor in the 1990s.
“An indictment has been served on Olmert and others,” a spokeswoman for the courts administration said. The indictment named Olmert, his former aide Shula Zaken and his successor as mayor, Uri Lupolianski, along with several senior city hall officials, prominent businessmen and property developers.
Last March, the justice ministry said Israeli prosecutors were poised to file charges against 18 people, including Olmert, for allegedly taking bribes during the time when he was mayor of Jerusalem.
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