The leader of Morocco's new moderate Islamist government has named his cabinet - the first time it has not been chosen by the king. Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), was earlier designated by the king as prime minister to head a power-sharing cabinet after his party won 27 percent of parliamentary seats in the election.
Moderate Islamists dominate new Moroccan cabinet (Euronews):
King Mohammed on Tuesday awarded cabinet posts to moderate Islamists for the first time on Tuesday, giving the foreign, justice and social affairs ministries to the party that came first in a November élection.
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Moroccan king names Islamist-led cabinet (Reuters)
RABAT (Reuters) - King Mohammed on Tuesday awarded cabinet posts to moderate Islamists for the first time on Tuesday, giving the foreign, justice and social affairs ministries to the party that came first in a November election, the official MAP news agency said.
Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), was earlier designated by the king as prime minister to head a power-sharing cabinet after his party won 27 percent of parliamentary seats in the election.
The king brought forward the election by nearly a year in an effort to pre-empt a popular revolt similar to ones that have rocked the Arab world, toppling four longtime ruling autocrats.
King Mohammed hopes fresh faces at the top of government, and at least the appearance of change, will deflate popular pressure for a more revolutionary transformation inspired by the Arab uprisings.
Benkirane has forged an alliance with two conservative parties close to the monarchy --Istiqlal (Independence), which came second, and the Popular Movement -- as well as the smaller left-wing Progress and Socialism Party.
Istiqlal member Nizar Baraka was named Finance and Economy Minister, replacing Salaheddine Mezouar whose party, the National Rally of Independents, opted to go into opposition.
PJD member Mohamed Najib Boulif, who has initially been strongly touted for Baraka's role, was named minister in charge of general affairs and governance, putting him in charge of thorny issues such as reforming the burdensome subsidies system.
Mustafa Ramid, a prominent lawyer and human right activist from PJD who has often been critical of the security services' record, was named Minister of Justice and Public Freedoms.
Bassima Hakkaoui of the PJD took over the social and women's affairs ministry as the only woman in the 31-member cabinet.
Saad-Eddine El-Othmani, another PJD member, was appointed foreign minister while Popular Movement leader Mohand Laenser was appointed interior minister.
A reform programme presented by the palace aims to reduce the king's sweeping powers in favour of elected officials in response to protests pressing mainly for a British or Spanish-style constitutional monarchy, an independent judiciary and improved curbs on corruption.
The reforms won overwhelming support in a July 1 referendum but protests have continued. The new charter subjects any government appointment to the king's approval.
The new charter was widely expected to limit interference by the royal court in appointments of personnel in justice, religious affairs, interior, defence,foreign affairs and the general secretariat, a legal adviser to the government.
Non-party figures close to the king were named in charge of defence, the general secretariat, religious affairs and the agriculture and fisheries ministry.
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Morocco expels Syrian ambassador
by Darius Kadivar on Mon Jul 16, 2012 10:40 PM PDTMorocco expels Syrian ambassador (France 24)
Morocco announced on Monday that it has expelled the Syrian ambassador, declaring him persona non grata and calling for an "efficient and resolute" transition to democracy in Syria.
Morocco protest over rape-marriage law
by Darius Kadivar on Sun Mar 18, 2012 02:11 AM PDTMorocco protest over rape-marriage law (bbc, VIDEO)
Several hundred women's rights activists have demonstrated outside Morocco's parliament to demand the repeal of a law on sexual violence.
Morocco's penal code allows a rapist to marry his victim if she is a minor as a way of avoiding prosecution.
A 16-year-old girl, Amina Filali, killed herself a week ago after being severely beaten during a forced marriage to her rapist.
Nora Fakim reports.
Minister in Morocco challenges law on rapists marrying victims
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Mar 15, 2012 01:40 PM PDTAFP - A minister in Morocco's Islamist government on Thursday called for a change to a law allowing a rapist to marry his victim after a 16-year-old teenager forced into such a union committed suicide. Under Moroccan law, rape is punishable by five to 10 years in prison -- or between 10 and 20 years if the victim is a minor.
Bassima Hakkaoui, Minister for Women and Families and the only woman in the cabinet, called for a debate to reform the law, in comments to state television channel 2M.
Her predecessor in the post Nouzha Skalli also declared herself shocked by the affair and called for the law to be changed.
Amina al-Filali, 16, drank rat poison last week in Larache, near Tangiers in the north, after being forced to marry the man who raped her.
He had sought to escape prison by invoking an article of the penal code that authorises the rapist to marry to escape prosecution.Morocco: Unemployed graduates set themselves on fire in protest
by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jan 19, 2012 03:46 PM PST‘Unemployed graduates’ in Morocco set themselves on fire to protest lack of jobs(nydailynews.com)
RABAT, Morocco -- Five unemployed Moroccan men set themselves on fire in the capital Rabat as part of widespread demonstrations in the country over the lack of jobs, especially for university graduates, a rights activist said Thursday. Three were burned badly enough tobe hospitalized.
Once rare, self-immolation became a tactic of protest in the Middle East and North Africa ever since a vegetable seller in Tunisia set himself on fire in December 2010 to protest police harassment, setting off an uprising that toppled the government and sparked similar movements elsewhere in the region.