Morocco announces new government of 24 portfolios
King Mohammed VI chaired a ceremony at the Royal palace in Fez this Thursday during which a new government of 24 jobs was announced following general elections last September 8.
The King had tasked Head of the Government Aziz Akhannouch with forming a new cabinet after his RNI party won 102 of the parliament’s 395 seats.
Akhannouch has announced a compact coalition with PAM (87 seats) and the Istiqlal party (81 seats).
The cabinet has 24 jobs and the ministers in charge of foreign affairs, interior, religious affairs and the defense administrations Nacer Bourita, Abdelouafi Laftit, Ahmed Taoufiq and Abdellatif Loudiyi respectively have kept their positions.
The new government has seven women, including new finance minister Nadia Fettah Alaoui – who served as tourism minister in the outgoing government.
Other women in the new government include health minister Nabila Rmili, Housing Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali, Solidarity and Family Minister Aouatif Hayar and minister delegate in charge of digital transition and administration reform Ghita Mezzour.
This number of women in the cabinet lineup evidences the importance granted to women and the trust they enjoy when it comes to the management of public affairs.
Leader of the PAM, which is participating in the government since its creation, Abdellatif Ouahbi took the portfolio of justice and Head of the Istiqlal Nizar Baraka was appointed equipment and water minister.
Other members of the cabinet include Morocco’s former ambassador to France Chakib Benmoussa as education minister. Benmoussa oversaw the elaboration of the new development model.
Mohamed Sadiki replaced Aziz Akhannouch as agriculture, rural development and fisheries minister. He served as Secretary General of the agriculture ministry.
Youness Sekkouri was appointed minister of economic inclusion and labor while Ryad Mezzour became industry and trade minister.
Abdellatif Miraoui was named minister in charge of higher education and scientific research and Mehdi Bensaid took the ministry youth, culture and communication minister.
Mohcine Jazouli, previously in charge of African cooperation at the foreign ministry, is now minister delegate in charge of investments, Faouzi Lekjaa is minister delegate in charge of the budget, while Mustapha Baitas was appointed minister delegate in charge of relations with the parliament and spokesman for the government.
The new government coalition, which gives Akhannouch a comfortable majority of 270 seats in the 395-seat parliament, is based on common points in the platforms of the three parties, Akhannounch had said in a recent statement to the media, underlining that the government to be formed would work to achieve social and economic development goals in line with the new development model, spurred by King Mohammed VI, and which aims notably at bolstering growth, reducing poverty and disparities, and promoting social justice and the efficiency of the civil service.
The opposition is left to socialist USFP, conservative popular Movement, liberal Constitutional Union, and other small parties that now include the Party for Justice and development (PJD) which hardly gleaned 13 seats in parliament compared to 125 in the 2015 elections.
