King Mohammed VI Dismisses Abdelilah Benkirane

King Mohammed VI has relieved Abdelilah Benkirane from his position as head of government, a communique from the Royal Cabinet said on Wednesday evening.

Two days after the legislative elections held on October 7, 2016, the Moroccan monarch appointed Abdelilah Benkirane as head of government and entrusted him with forming a new coalition government.

But after over five months of negotiations with different political parties, he was unable to break the deadlock and form a government.

 After his return to Morocco following his visit to African countries, the King was informed that the negotiations that Abdelilah Benkirane had conducted for more than five months, have not been successful to date for achieving the government coalition,” according to the same source.

The King has decided to appoint another personality form the Party of Justice and Development to form a new coalition government, according to the same source.

“HM the King has opted for this High decision, among all the other options granted to Him by the letter and spirit of the Constitution, to accomplish His sincere will and permanent concern to consolidate the democratic choice and to preserve the achievements made by our country in this area,” it added.

Including the party of the Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the Constitutional Union (UC), which obtained 20 and 19 seats in the legislative elections respectively, was the bone of contention between Benkirane and Aziz Akhannouch, leader of the Party of the National Rally of Independents (RNI).

Akhanouch whose party ranked fourth in the legislative elections wanted the USFP and the UC to be part of the coalition government.

Abdelilah Benkirane was adamant in dismissing such scenario and insisted that the coalition he seeks to form will be constituted of the same parties who were part of the previous government coalition.

“HM the King will receive this figure as soon as possible and will instruct him to form the new government,” the same source concluded.

Source :Morocco World News