HIBAPRESS – Rabat
Abdelilah Benkirane, the Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party, refused to hold a meeting with Fatima Ezzahra Al-Mansouri, the appointed head of government, at the headquarters of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), as part of the ongoing consultations to form the new government.
Benkirane explained, in a live broadcast on his Facebook page, that he received a phone call from Al-Mansouri regarding the meeting. He initially agreed to meet her, considering she now represents an official state institution, but he refused to attend at the headquarters of the Authenticity and Modernity Party.
Benkirane demanded, as revealed in the live broadcast, that she come to him since she was the one who requested the meeting. Furthermore, he stated that the topic would not be about participating in the government, as his party had already decided its stance and announced its alignment with the opposition days ago.
Benkirane based his position on historical precedents, explaining that when he was appointed head of government, he visited Abdelrahman El Yousfi, Abbas El Fassi, and Abdelwahad Radi, in the context of communicating with former heads of government and political party leaders.
He added that Al-Mansouri informed him that she would consult regarding his request before finalizing her position, but she did not get back to him with any response. This prompted him to publicly clarify his stance and end the controversy surrounding the meeting.
Benkirane noted that he was surprised by the announcement that Al-Mansouri would meet a delegation from the Justice and Development Party on Thursday evening. He reiterated his refusal to attend the headquarters of the Authenticity and Modernity Party and stated that none of his party's leaders would attend the PAM headquarters as part of these consultations.
