Morocco may have avoided the worst of the global financial crisis, Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane asserted this week, but its long-term outlook depends on politics.
In a time of widespread economic uncertainty, Morocco has been able to safeguard its fundamentals, even though results fell short of aspirations, Benkirane said Wednesday (July 17th) during a monthly parliamentary session on investment, industry and trade.
“We need to be patient,” he said. “Although reform is not happening at the desired speed, it will come about gradually.”
To continue shielding the kingdom from the crisis experienced by Greece and other countries, however, the government needed “political support”, Benkirane added.
But this political support is far from guaranteed.
MPs have been forthright in their condemnation of the government’s economic and investment strategy.
“Morocco’s economy is fragile,” said Abdelhamid Saadaoui, the leader of Popular Movement members in the Chamber of Councillors.
The MP pointed to economic indicators in the red, such as the rate of growth, as well as the trade deficit and mounting debt.
“The government must revise its strategic decisions. Local committees need to be appointed to examine investment issues,” he argued.
Parliamentarians called on the government to listen to all proposals, such as cutting red tape, improving the business climate, tackling corruption and transitioning to an economy that is open to foreign markets.
“The government is giving assurances, but the reality and the actual experience of citizens show that the economy has stalled. 2013 was a wasted year”, Constitutional Union leader Driss Radi said.
Morocco is currently going through a crisis of confidence, Radi added.
And the Istiqlal party’s recent withdrawal from the ruling coalition is making Benkirane’s job even more difficult.
Talks aimed at replacing Istiqlal with a new party in order to preserve the government’s majority are being conducted very discreetly but have not yet led to any results.
The RNI (National Assembly of Independents), the favourites to replace Istiqlal, have still not given their agreement in principle. The RNI last Tuesday denied all reports that it was willing to join the Benkirane administration.
“Given the sensitivities of both parties, the negotiations will go on for some time to come,” editorial writer Hassan El Mekoui told Magharebia.
“It’s important to remember that the RNI has made no secret of its categorical opposition to the Justice and Development Party (PJD) Islamist agenda,” he added.
Benkirane “will need to walk a tightrope between the need to re-establish a majority and the pressure from the Islamists within his own party, who view the RNI as a party which is fiercely opposed to the plan to create an Islamist society”, feminist activist Leila Attali said.
On Wednesday, Benkirane underlined that running the government was not his primary aim.
The PJD is prepared for all foreseeable scenarios, including dissolving the government and holding early elections, he noted.
By Siham Ali and Hassan Benmehdi, Source: Magharebia
