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afrol News, 8 November - Moroccan King Mohammed VI has appointed his country's new coalition government. While the cabinet is headed by a new Prime Minister given the target to reform the Kingdom economically, most Ministers remain in their seats. The moderate Islamists, main winners of the September elections, were not granted any ministerial posts. Driss Jettou was appointed new Prime Minister by the King already one month ago, replacing the socialist Ex-PM Abderrahmane Youssoufi. The 67-year-old Mr Jettou is not member of any political party, has a solid economic education and is a former successful businessman. The technocrat is asked to head the economic reform process in Morocco and to modernise the Alaouit Kingdom, which is the most backward country in economic terms in Northern Africa. Within this will-to-reform framework, the King's appointment of the rest of the cabinet came as some surprise. Mr Jettou's team of 38 ministers is dominated by well-known faces. Minister of Finances is still Fatallah Oualalou. Minister of Territorial Development again is Mohamed El-Yazghi. Less surprising was the re-appointment of Foreign Minister Mohamed Benaissa. The King asked PM Jettou's cabinet to show "economic efficiency based on democratic legitimacy" and said that the new governing team would have to "answer the economic and social expectations of the citizens." A split-up of the ministries - to enable the inclusion of as many parties as possible in the coalition - however will make the Prime Minister's work difficult, observers say. The governing elite has been observed to have little confidence among Moroccans, which holds that the Rabat government is more occupied with its personal welfare. Lack of transparency among the elite has given Islamists a growing support, also in Morocco. In the Kingdom, poverty, unemployment and illiteracy is the dominant feature. Democracy has no tradition. The appointment of the new government follows the 27 September general elections, which however were the freest experienced in Morocco's history. The governing coalition, mainly composed of the Socialist party and the nationalist Istiqlal party, thus regained its majority. The main victory was however noted by the moderate Islamists, who tripled their representation and emerged the country's third largest party. Critics however say that the democratic exercise - whish only managed to mobilise 52 percent of Morocco's 14 million registered voters - indeed gave little room for popular decision. All parties threatening the political establishment, in particular the more radical Islamists, are still forbidden. In practical terms, the Moroccan government has few powers compared to the King and his Council, the Makhzen. The King himself appoints the entire cabinet, which only answers to him. Thus, the King had little to fear permitting free elections in September.
Sources:
Based on Moroccan govt, press reports and afrol archives
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