فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
Oujda – Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), launched a scathing attack on Sunday in Oujda against Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, considering that the latter “became a minister because he clashed with the PJD,” which led to the party losing between 20 and 30 electoral seats in the recent elections. This statement came in the context of a party meeting, where Benkirane intensified his criticism of the current government, while maintaining that his personal relationship with Laftit remains “good,” calling on him not to “exaggerate” in managing political tensions.
Benkirane added, in a speech delivered before his supporters, that Saadeddine El Othmani’s government was “handicapped” and subject to the influence of Aziz Akhannouch, the current Prime Minister, considering that the current executive has contributed to the loss of public confidence in politics and is “taking the wrong path.” He affirmed that “the only real PJD government” was the one he himself led, while El Othmani’s government came after “radical changes” resulting from administrative errors and political decisions that led to the party’s defeat in the 2021 legislative elections, where its seats dropped from 125 to just 12, according to the announcement by Interior Minister Laftit at the time.
Benkirane explained that the Justice and Development Party’s refusal to participate in the second government after 2016 opened the door for the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), noting that certain matters are directly overseen by King Mohammed VI through the government and other institutions. He also emphasized that his party, unlike the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, views moderate political parties as a fundamental pillar of the nation.
In a fierce attack on Akhannouch’s government, Benkirane stated that “Moroccans can no longer tolerate it,” and that confidence in institutions is eroding, questioning the nature of mobilization carried out by the PAM party, considering that it relies more on “financial means” than political ideas.
Conflict of Interest and Corruption Accusations
Benkirane also raised issues of conflict of interest within the executive, citing the awarding of a water desalination plant contract to the Prime Minister, and the recent controversy over pharmaceutical contracts where some ministers continued to manage their companies despite officially announcing their resignation. He affirmed that his party “will not remain silent” in the face of these violations.
Additionally, Benkirane renewed his attack on Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi regarding the bar exam, which had to be reorganized due to “corrupt practices,” and criticized the minister’s amendments to the Family Code. This rhetoric comes in a historical context of tension between Benkirane and Laftit, which witnessed previous escalation in the 2022 partial elections, where Benkirane accused the Interior Ministry of “manipulating” the results.
