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Moroccan king names Islamist-led cabinet

03 January 2012 19:54 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Morocco’s King Mohammed awarded the foreign and justice ministries Tuesday to the moderate Islamist party that won a November election but reserved the domestic security portfolio for a veteran conservative close to the monarch, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), will head up Morocco’s first Islamist-led coalition government after his party won 27 percent of parliamentary seats in the November 25 vote.

The king brought forward the election by nearly a year in an effort to pre-empt a popular revolt similar to ones that have rocked the Arab world, toppling four longtime ruling autocrats.

King Mohammed hopes fresh faces at the top of government, and at least the appearance of change, will deflate popular pressure for a more revolutionary transformation inspired by the Arab uprisings.

Morocco may have sidestepped upheaval for now but the new cabinet will need to act quickly to tackle seeds of unrest, including youth unemployment at 31 percent, wide disparities in wealth and patchy access to basic amenities.

Benkirane said the new government was "genuinely" committed to reform, pledging to enhance Morocco’s competitiveness to attract more foreign investment. He is expected to present his governing program before parliament later this month.

He has forged an alliance with two conservative parties close to the monarchy -- Istiqlal (Independence), which came second, and the Popular Movement -- as well as the smaller left-wing Progress and Socialism Party.

Istiqlal member Nizar Baraka was named Finance and Economy Minister, replacing Salaheddine Mezouar whose party, the National Rally of Independents, opted to go into opposition. Baraka will mainly have to address a galloping budget deficit.

PJD member Mohamed Najib Boulif replaced Baraka as minister in charge of general affairs and governance, putting him in charge of reforming the burdensome subsidies system.

Mustafa Ramid, a prominent lawyer and human right activist from PJD who has often been critical of the security services’ record, was named Minister of Justice and Public Freedoms.

Bassima Hakkaoui of the PJD took over the social and women’s affairs ministry as the only woman in the 31-member cabinet.

Mohand Laenser, head of the Popular Movement party who was a frequent minister under King Mohammed and his late father King Hassan, was named interior minister.

Non-party figures close to the king were named in charge of defense, the general secretariat, religious affairs and the agriculture and fisheries ministry.

SHADOW CABINET

Saad-Eddine El-Othmani, a career psychiatrist from PJD, was appointed foreign minister. Youssef Amrani, a non-party figure who has spent several years at the foreign ministry, will be his deputy.

A reform program presented by the palace aims to reduce the king’s sweeping powers in favor of elected officials in response to protests pressing mainly for a British or Spanish-style constitutional monarchy, an independent judiciary and improved curbs on corruption.

The reforms won overwhelming support in a July 1 referendum but protests have continued. The new charter subjects any government appointment to the king’s approval.

The new charter was widely expected to limit interference by the royal court in appointments of personnel in justice, religious affairs, interior, defense, foreign affairs and the general secretariat, a legal adviser to the government.

The PJD had previously been in opposition since its creation in 1998 by a group of former Islamic militants and conservatives close to the monarchy.

Its strong election showing came on the back of promises mainly to increase democratic practices, cut corruption and tackle inequalities by raising the minimum wage.

Analysts say the PJD will be unable to force through change without the support of a still-omnipotent king.

The monarch relies on a secretive elite of advisers called the Makhzen which has often acted as a powerful shadow cabinet and has been one of the main targets of a popular movement for change that thronged the streets last year.