Gulf Times
Abdelilah Benkirane, Morocco’s prime minister and leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party, is confident that his party, in power for nearly five years, will dominate Friday’s parliamentary vote.
“I don’t have a specific expectation of the number of seats we’ll win. But, God willing, we will lead the vote,” Benkirane told DPA in a phone interview.
The vote is Morocco’s second legislative poll since the kingdom adopted constitutional reforms to quell the street protests that erupted during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.
The new constitution, adopted in a 2011 referendum, obliges the monarch to appoint the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats.
The Justice and Development Party came top in the 2011 election with 107 seats, bringing Islamists to power for the first time in Morocco’s history.
Benkirane has been prime minister since November 2011.
Benkirane ruled out the possibility that the voting contest this time will be limited to his party, known by its French acronym PJD, and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM).
“I don’t think that this party (PAM) has all that popular weight. There are far longer established parties such as the Independence Party and the National Rally of Independents.”
Benkirane dismissed as “untrue” rumours that his party is at loggerheads with the palace.
“Whoever speaks about this does not know Morocco well. The Moroccan people believe that stability of the country, its safety and its presence as a state are closely connected to the palace and His Majesty King Mohamed VI,” Benkirane explained.
He called on political parties and the media not to involve the palace in political conflicts, especially in connection with elections.
“His majesty the king has unequivocally announced that he stands the same distance from all political parties.”
“The government has made significant steps in fighting corruption. The judiciary is now looking into several files related to prominent public figures and members of key state agencies who previously were not to be questioned,” he said without giving details.
The 62-year-old believes that “unfair” criticism of his policy has boosted his popularity ahead of election.
“People in the street say: ‘You are unfair to the man. Yes, the prime minister has not fulfilled all aspirations, but he has achieved a significant number of reforms in several sectors.’ And they (the people) defend me.”
