Morocco’s public spending at risk, say lawmakers

Public spending in Morocco is being put at risk by the country’s inability to form a government nearly five months after elections, opposition lawmakers said.

The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which led the last coalition government, increased its share of parliamentary seats at October’s election. But it fell out with its former government partner, the conservative Istiqlal party, over economic reforms, and has been unable to strike a new deal.

The 2017 budget, which should have been approved by parliament by the end of 2016, cannot be passed until a government is in place.

“There are already complaints about funds not being allocated in certain branches of the public sector,” Nourdin Moudian, head of Istiqlal’s parliamentary group, told Reuters.

“It is the Moroccan people who will ultimately suffer the most from this delay.”

A government source said that while the political deadlock had “slowed things down”, it would not stop the state functioning because in the absence of a budget approved by parliament there are decrees that allow for ministries to work.

A powerful government

The PJD first came to power in 2011 after “Arab Spring” protests prompted King Mohammed VI to call a referendum on constitutional reform, granting more powers to the elected government.

The king re-appointed PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane prime minister after the election but his talks with Aziz Akhannouch, leader of the centre-right National Rally of Independence (RNI) and a friend of the king, have stalled.

“Our position on the government is clear … We want a powerful government,” Akhannouch told a party conference, justifying his insistence on including the minor parties, particularly the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP).

In January, USFP member Habib El Malki was elected parliament chief, despite the party coming sixth in the election with just 20 out of 395 seats in parliament.