Moroccan politician: Delays in forming a government are totally normal

Delays in the formation of a new Moroccan government are to be expected and are not signs that there is a crisis in the system, a former minister has said.

The former head of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces party, Mohamed El Yazghi, said: “The Prime Minister-designate Abdelilah Benkirane’s delay in forming a new government is understandable and has not yet reached the level of a political crisis.”

Speaking to Quds Press, El Yazghi ruled out the possibility that Benkirane has failed to form a government, saying: “I think the Prime Minister-designate is still in the process of consultations to form a government, and this is perfectly normal, especially that some party leaders are travelling with the king to a number of African countries.”

He pointed out that “Benkirane is currently in the process of negotiating with the secretary-general of the National Rally for Independents party, which was part of the previous government.”

Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 7 October, which resulted in the Justice and Development party winning for the second time in a row.