Moroccan King Mohammed VI Appoints Akhannouch Government

Rabat, Oct 8 (TNA) This Thursday afternoon, at the Royal Palace in Fez, Mohammed VI presided over the ceremony for the appointment of the new government. Led by Aziz Akhannouch, whose party, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), won the legislative elections on September 8, the government has 24 members - deputy ministers and general secretaries included.

Nizar Baraka, head of Istiqlal, who came third in the elections in early September, will take charge of the Ministry of Equipment. The party of the balance also sees one of its members taking the head of Morocco's Transport, in the person of Mohamed Abdeljalil, who until then chaired the management board of Marsa Maroc. Ryad Mezzour, former chief of staff of Moulay Hafid Elalamy, becomes Minister of Industry.

New faces - with the exception of Nizar Baraka - who are not involved in the governing bodies of Allal Al Fassi's party, and who combine both technical competence and political legitimacy.

As for the secretary general of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) Abdellatif Ouahbi, who came second in the ballot, he inherits the portfolio of Justice. Mehdi Bensaïd takes the helm of Youth and Culture, and Younès Sekkouri is appointed Minister of Inclusion and Employment.

Until then Minister of Tourism, Nadia Fettah Alaoui became Minister of Economy and Finance. This is the first time that a woman has held this crucial position in the history of the kingdom. She is replaced in Tourism by Fatim-Zahra Ammor, former marketing director of Akwa who was notably general commissioner of the Moroccan Pavilion at the Universal Expo in Milan in 2015.

Among the reappointed ministers, Abdelouafi Laftit remains at the head of the Interior. Foreign Affairs will continue to be led by Nasser Bourita. As for Ahmed Toufiq, he remains in Habous and Islamic Affairs, a post he has held since 2002. Moroccan football federation boss Fouzi Lekjaa remains in the Budget.

Until then Moroccan Ambassador to Paris, the President of the Special Commission on the Development Model, Chakib Benmoussa, becomes Minister of National Education.

Unsurprisingly, the RNI keeps control of the majority. Let us quote Mustapha Baïtas, a very close to the head of government Aziz Akhannouch, is appointed government spokesperson and minister in charge of relations with the Parliament.

The new mayor of Marrakech Fatima-Ezzahra El Mansouri becomes Minister of Housing and the City. That of Casablanca-Settat, Nabila Rmili, inherits Health. Leila Benali will be responsible for overseeing the Energy Transition, a major project in the mandate of the new government.

Former Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mohammed Sadiki took over from Aziz Akhanouch as the head of this ministry.