April 2, 2017 11 News & Analysis Maghreb Six parties to join new Moroccan coalition

Saad Guerraoui

Casablanca

ewly appointed Mo- roccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani included the Socialist Union of Popular Forc- Nes (USFP) in his coalition govern- ment, ending a 5-month stalemate brought about by his predecessor, , who had re- fused to give in to the party. Othmani said six parties would form the coalition government: The ruling Islamist Justice and Develop- ment Party (PJD), the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Consti- tutional Union (UC), the Popular Movement (MP), the USFP and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).

Othmani’s decision to include the USFP in the government could divide the Islamist party.

The PJD-led coalition will give the government a comfortable major- ity of 240 seats out of 395 in parlia- ment. The Islamist party won 125 seats in the Moroccan House of Rep- resentatives in October’s elections but needed a coalition to form a government. Benkirane was ousted by Moroccan King Mohammed VI Comfortable majority. Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani (C) gives a news conference next to , after failing to pull together enough president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) (L), Mohamed , president of the Progress and Socialism party support to that end. (PPS) (R2), and Mohammed Sajid, president of the Constitutional Union (UC) (R). (Reuters) Othmani’s decision to include the USFP in the government could rifices that even led him to lose his al council of the PJD youth March USFP leader the Jus- tion or not… The answer is the prag- divide the Islamist party. Many PJD [position as prime minister],” PJD 11th prior to his dismissal. tice minister. matism of the party (PJD) and the MPs warned Othmani they would MP Amina Maelainine was quoted “The USFP has blocked an entire expressed divided maturity of its general secretariat challenge him in parliament over as saying. country for five months for one or opinions on social media after the and making the right decisions in any government programme that She said Othmani should not two ministerial posts. Under these announcement of their next coali- the difficult circumstances and failed to respect the continuity ini- backtrack on issues such as parity conditions, it is not possible,” he tion government. from my point of view they have tiated by Benkirane, the Moroccan and equality. said. “30 ministers! O God this is har- succeeded and thank God,” wrote daily reported. Negotiations with the RNI, led by Mohamed Yatim, head of the PJD am. China, the country of 1.5 bil- Nahima Jadi on Facebook. “Reform The parliamentarians claim that billionaire and Minister of Agricul- union, called on the Islamist party’s lion people, has 18 ministers. Swit- is a long and difficult road and -re the voters, who re-elected the PJD ture Aziz Akhannouch, ended Janu- officials to “oppose the evil militias zerland, the richest country in the quires patience and weighing things as the leading Moroccan political ary 17th after Benkirane refused who are sacrificing Benkirane”. world, has eight ministers,” wrote according to political circumstanc- party, consider the programme and Akhannouch’s condition to include Akhbar Al Yaoum, a Moroccan Mhamed Elmoubarik on Facebook. es”. the reforms initiated by Benkirane the USFP in the government. daily close to the PJD, reported that Karimi Taher replied that the to be “a red line that no one should “If you see this government the USFP leader could create a new grand plan was to fight political Is- Saad Guerraoui is a frequent question”. formed with the USFP, I’m not Ab- deadlock by demanding to head lam. contributor to The Arab Weekly on “Benkirane has made huge sac- delilah,” Benkirane told the nation- four ministries, including making “The answer is not the satisfac- Maghreb issues. Airline electronics ban causes dismay in Tunisia,

Lamine Ghanmi mayed officials and left experts puzzled. “Soon, we will all be forced to Tunis travel naked,” said Mehdi on a social media page for Moroccan oyal Air Maroc, Mo- travellers. “All this is ridiculous,” rocco’s largest airline, chipped in Zineb. announced it would Some Tunisian travellers shared bar electronic devices, their outrage. “Our country is dif- excluding cell phones ferent and our society is open to Rand medical items, from cabins welcome tourists. The ban on elec- on flights directly to and from the tronic items is a bad signal. It puts United States, in compliance with a our country in the same circle with Improved security. A Tunisair plane is seen parked on a tarmac at Tunis-Carthage International Airport. US directive other countries where terrorism (AFP) Fellow Maghreb state carrier and religious bigotry are rife,” said Tunisair announced a similar pol- Salim Derbal, owner of a car rental icy for its flights to and from the company at Tunis-Carthage Inter- derstand how banning electronic visitors from European countries, Tunisian tourism,” Mohamed Ali United Kingdom, based on an elec- national Airport. devices in carry-on baggage would and that their country had signifi- Toumi, president of Tunisia’s Fed- tronics ban issued by British au- The ban is likely to harm Royal improve flight security. cantly improved security measures eration of Travel Agents, told a lo- thorities. Air Maroc’s business and threaten Mohamed Mezghani, the head over the past few years. Britain’s cal radio station. efforts to transform of European Affairs for the Tuni- Foreign Office has advised against Tunisian Foreign Minister Khe- The measures into a hub between Africa and Eu- sian Foreign Ministry, told British all but essential travel to Tunisia maies Jhinaoui said the British atti- targeting Maghreb rope and North America. Royal Air Ambassador to Tunisia Louise De since 2015, when 30 British citizens tude was “surprising” because Brit- countries irked Maroc serves more than 30 African Sousa that Tunisia was “surprised” were killed in a terrorist attack in ish officials were aware of Tunisia’s passengers and left countries. The airline’s executives by the ban on electronic devices on Sousse. efforts to bolster security measures said they feared travellers who pay flights from Tunis to London. Officials in Tunis had expressed after the Sousse attack. experts puzzled. up to $6,000 for a round-trip flight Mezghani cited tightened secu- hope that improved security condi- The United States prohibits its to the United States might instead rity measures at Tunisia’s airports tions would lead to Britain lifting airlines from conducting commer- The US ban applies to flights on book tickets on rival European and the safety record of the na- its travel ban but on March 29th the cial operations over Libyan air- Royal Air Maroc and eight other companies spared by the ban. tional airline. He reportedly told De British Foreign Office updated its space due to the country’s political airlines originating in ten airports While neither London nor Wash- Sousa that not allowing Tunisair travel advisory, warning that ter- instability and terror threats. in eight Middle Eastern countries, ington cited a specific reason for passengers to carry large electronic rorist incidents remained highly Algeria, which tightened airport including Morocco. The British ban the ban, security experts see it as devices on cabins prompted “ques- likely. security after a long battle with targets aircraft flying out of Egypt, warning of imminent terror plots tionings about the British attitude “As long as England maintains extremism in the 1990s, is not in- Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Leb- using electronic devices. in the light of the improved secu- these restrictions on Tunisia and, cluded in the ban. anon and Tunisia. International Air Transport Asso- rity situation in Tunisia”. from time to time, consolidates The measures targeting Maghreb ciation Director-General Alexandre Tunisian tourism officials said them with similar decisions, this Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly countries irked passengers, dis- de Juniac said it was difficult to -un they were ready to welcome more will have a negative impact on correspondent in Tunis.