New Moroccan prime minister forms government, ending five-month crisis

Morocco’s new Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani has succeeded in building a governing coalition, ending a five-month political deadlock after just eight days in office.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

26 March, 2017

The formation of a new government ends a five-month deadlock [Anadolu]

Morocco’s new Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani has succeeded in building a governing coalition, ending a five-month political deadlock after just eight days in office.

El Othmani, 61, of the Islamist Party for Justice and Development, or PJD, announced on Saturday in a press conference in Rabat that an “agreement has been reached” with six political parties to form a coalition government.

The coalition includes pro-market, conservative and socialist parties. It will now work on dividing government ministerial jobs.

The Islamist PJD won parliamentary elections in October but didn’t win enough seats to govern alone.

El Othmani’s predecessor failed to build a coalition and alienated potential partners.

The protracted crisis was hurting the economy and Morocco’s image, and the king fired him this month in an unusual intervention.