Two ways to draw up new Morocco govt: JDP leader

By Khalid Majdoub

RABAT (AA) – A leader of Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (JDP), which won the most seats in recent legislative polls, has said there are two ways of overcoming the difficulties involved in forming a new government.

In an interview with Anadolu Agency, Khaled al-Rahmouni, a member of the JDP’s general secretariat, said the first way was to convince the National Rally of Independents Party to accept a coalition comprised of the JDP, the Progress and Socialism Party and the Independence Party, in addition to the National Rally.

The National Rally of Independents had been part of Morocco’s previous JDP-led coalition government.

Al-Rahmouni urged the party to abandon what he described as the "unreasonable conditions" set by its leadership, which earlier demanded that the Independence Party not be part of any coalition.

A second way to resolve the crisis, he said, would be to call early elections if Prime Minister-designate Abdelilah Benkirane fails to form a government.

Al-Rahmouni called on the country’s various political parties to "to compromise in order to resolve the current crisis [in forming the government] while taking into account results of the recent parliamentary polls".

Citing recent remarks by the head of the Independence Party, al-Rahmouni accused certain parties of "refusing to accept the results of the elections", which were swept by the JDP.

Independence Party Secretary-General Hamid Chabat recently criticized what he described as "attempts to overturn the election results", accusing the Authenticity and Modernity Party of trying to persuade other parties to form a coalition government without the JDP.

Authenticity and Modernity Party Secretary-General Elias al-Amari, for his part, denied the allegation.

Earlier this week, al-Amari said that if Benkirane failed to form a coalition government, he would not attempt to do so himself.

Morocco’s constitution does not give the runner-up party -- in this case Authenticity and Modernity -- the right to form a government in the event that the first party fails to do so.

Nor does the constitution set a deadline for forming a government.

According to Morocco’s national charter, the king has the right to call early elections after dissolving parliament, consulting with the head of Morocco’s Constitutional Court and informing the prime minister.

The constitution also gives the prime minister the right to call for early elections.

On Oct. 10, King Mohammed VI appointed Benkirane as PM-designate and tasked him with drawing up a new government.

Coalition talks are currently being overseen by Benkirane, who is also head of the JDP.

Benkirane’s proposed cabinet line-up will require the support of at least 198 out of 395 assembly members.