El Othmani to Present Govt.’s 4-Month Record

Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani will hold a conference  on Monday  in Rabat to detail the achievements of his cabinet since it was appointed by King Mohammed VI in April.

The conference will be attended by representatives of the six parties making up the government coalition, as well as public figures from business and civil society.

The leaders of the government coalition parties met  on Wednesday. During the meeting, the government record, which is due to be presented to the public, was agreed upon.
Abdelilah Benkirane, the leader of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), to which El Othmani belongs, did not take part in the meeting.

The former head of government is said to have differences with his successor over the management of some issues such as the crisis in Al Hoceima.

The months-long protests in the region led to confrontations between local residents and the police, resulting in mass arrests among activists and leaders of the protest movement, which have weighed down on the new government’s record.

The government’s failure to convince Rifians to halt their protests, coupled with a security approach seen by many as “aggressive,” contributed in making the government less popular.

Pressure on El Othmani and his team mounted even higher when King Mohammed VI addressed criticism to public administration and officials in his Throne Day Speech in late July.

Ministers also received the King’s anger over the delay of development projects in Al Hoceima, the epicenter of protests in the Rif.

The government announced in August a set of measures to implement the King’s directives in his Throne Day Speech.

As the four last months have been extremely challenging for the government led by El Othmani, many observers of Moroccan politics are wondering how it will manage the pressure from both public opinion and the King for the rest of its mandate.

source:moroccoworldnews