King Mohammed VI tasked Aziz Akhannouch, leader of the National Rally of Independents party and businessman, with forming a new government in Morocco on Friday evening, following his party's victory in the parliamentary elections held on Wednesday, which notably defeated the Justice and Development Party (PJD) Islamists. A statement from the royal palace indicated that the Moroccan monarch received Akhannouch at the royal palace in Fez and "assigned him to form the new government," highlighting that the appointment was made "in accordance with constitutional provisions and based on the results of the recent legislative elections."
The National Rally of Independents topped the parliamentary election results, securing 102 seats out of 395. Meanwhile, the Islamists, who had led the government in Morocco for nearly a decade, fell to eighth place with only 13 seats compared to 125 in the outgoing parliament. After his appointment, Akhannouch stated in an interview with public television that "consultations will start now to form a new government, and the most important thing is to ensure it is cohesive and consistent," deeming his appointment a "privilege."
Akhannouch was the Minister of Agriculture in the outgoing government since 2007. His party held key ministries in Saadeddine Othmani's government, including economics, finance, industry, and tourism. Founded in 1978 by a close associate of the late King Hassan II to counter leftist opposition at the time, the party has participated in successive governments for the past 23 years, except for a year and a half between 2012 and 2013 when it was excluded from Abdelilah Benkirane's government. However, Akhannouch continued as Minister of Agriculture during that period before being re-elected as party leader in 2016.
He is expected to consult with parliamentary parties to form a new government team, which will not include the Justice and Development Party, whose leadership announced on Thursday its alignment with the opposition. The new Prime Minister expressed his readiness "to work confidently and responsibly with all parties that share our principles and programs, under the high leadership of His Majesty the King." Akhannouch aims to form "a solid majority capable of implementing the major guidelines and structural projects launched by His Majesty the King and capable of continuing the development path," emphasizing efforts to "improve citizens' living conditions."
It is anticipated that most parliamentary parties will adopt a charter for "a new development model" that will herald "a new phase of projects and reforms" aimed for 2035, as confirmed by King Mohammed VI in a recent speech. This project outlines an economic revival and aims to reduce deep social disparities in the kingdom while encouraging investment and enhancing the quality of education and healthcare services.
The new government will also face the challenges of the economic repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused unprecedented recession. King Mohammed VI previously announced an ambitious project for economic recovery worth nearly $12 billion in the summer of 2020. The 2011 constitution grants the government and parliament extensive powers, but the king retains central decision-making authority on strategic issues and major projects that do not necessarily change with shifts in government.
The overall results of the general elections, which also included local and regional councils, solidified the National Rally's prominence in Morocco's political landscape, as it secured top positions in both electoral contests while the Justice and Development Party faced significant decline. Meanwhile, the Authenticity and Modernity Party maintained its second place with 86 seats, having been a significant contender against the Justice and Development Party since its establishment by King Mohammed VI's advisor Fouad Ali El Himma in 2008. The Independence Party (center-right) made gains, coming in third with 81 seats. Both parties were in opposition during the previous parliamentary term.
The National Rally faced accusations of "buying candidates and voters" during the election campaign, explicitly put forward by the Secretary General of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, Abdelatif Ouahbi. Former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane criticized Akhannouch just days before the elections for his perceived lack of political background and ideology, saying, "You only have money." However, Akhannouch, known for his avoidance of political controversies and rare media appearances, regarded those criticisms as "an acknowledgment of defeat," opting not to respond.
The significant defeat of the Justice and Development Party resulted in the resignation of its leadership on Thursday and called for an extraordinary conference, denouncing the "pressure on the party's candidates by certain authority figures" and the "extensive use of money." He had previously played a pivotal role in forming the outgoing government five years ago, imposing conditions on then-designate Prime Minister Benkirane that were rejected, leading to a prolonged crisis. This ended with the king dismissing Benkirane and replacing him with Saadeddine Othmani, who accepted Akhannouch's conditions, presenting Islamists in a weakened position.
Voter turnout was reported at 50.35% by the Minister of the Interior, marking the first time in the kingdom's history that around 18 million voters were called to parliamentary, local, and regional elections on the same day.
