First Independent Mena Newspaper
Morocco’s parliamentary elections unfolded with the incumbent moderate Islamist party, Justice and Development (PJD) coming first followed by liberal Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in a tight electoral race that makes government coalition formation an uphill battle for the PJD. A coalition between the PJD with 125 seats followed by the PAM with 102 seats […]
The legislative elections held on Friday October 7, 2016 unfolded in normal, smooth conditions. These were the remarks of the over 4,000 national and foreign observers who monitored the polls which they described as fair, honest and transparent and were not disrupted by any incident. Nearly 30 political parties run for these parliamentary elections, the […]
In previous elections, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has been banking on the integrity and chastity of its members to win votes and enlarge its support base. To the misfortune of the party, the 2016 parliamentary election bodes ill on the backdrop of a series of sex scandals involving senior party leaders. First, two […]
Moroccan aeronautic industry is growing rapidly thanks to incentives granted to investors, proximity to Europe, low labor costs, stability and political will to make this sector a driving force of economic growth and development. This highly Moroccan competitive sector continues to attract foreign investment and gain trust of giant manufacturers such as American Boeing which […]
Algeria has launched a new strategy called the “new economic growth model” aiming to diversify the economy and draw more investments to compensate for the collapse in oil prices. Yet, poor governance, insecurity, vested interests and regime opacity cast doubt on the success of the strategy. In an article on Foreign Policy, Robert Looney, describes […]
Morocco’s parliamentary elections approach on October 7 in a climate marked by fierce rivalry between the two main contending parties: the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Secular Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). This de facto polarization of the Moroccan partisan scene is manifested in the speculations on future coalitions led either […]
Following the death of the long-serving Polisario ringleader Mohamed Abdelaziz, his family is believed to have left the Tindouf camps (southern Algeria) to live in Spain, according to press reports. Such a move has raised many questions over the reasons behind such relocation. Is it voluntary or compulsory? It is a sign of a rift […]
Commentaries by western intellectuals, media and government officials continue to hail King Mohammed VI for his speech against radicalism and terrorism. In a recent commentary on the French Le Point newspaper, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy highlights that at a time the west is mired in a sterile burkini debate, King Mohammed VI delivered a speech- […]
King Mohammed VI delivered, Saturday, a speech on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the Revolution of the King and the People in which he stressed Africa’s central place in Morocco’s foreign policy along with the Kingdom’s solidarity with sub-Saharan migrants and its condemnation of extremism and terrorism. Africa a top priority in Morocco’s […]
The nomination of Youssef Chahed as a new Tunisian Prime Minister by Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi has stirred controversy and angered opponents who view the nomination as an act of nepotism. The close family ties between the 40-year old Chahed and the President who both belong to the Nidae Tounes party have alarmed smaller […]