Benkirane declines meeting with newly designated PM Mansouri

Morocco’s PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane has declined to meet newly designated Prime Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri at her PAM party headquarters, offering instead to receive her at his home.

The position opens the door to discussion about the nature of political consultations over the formation of Morocco’s next government and the limits of party customs and protocol.

In a video posted on his official Facebook page shortly before, Benkirane said his refusal to meet at PAM headquarters did not mean he was rejecting dialogue with Mansouri. He stressed that he had no objection to receiving her at his home if she wished to meet him, keeping the meeting away from formal or protocol considerations.

Benkirane recalled his political experience when King Mohammed VI tasked him with forming the government in 2012. He said he had then taken the initiative to visit a number of political leaders and former prime ministers, without considering such visits an affront to his position or political standing.

Benkirane said communication between political leaders should not be governed by considerations about the venue or protocol, referring to his previous experience in handling government consultations and the meetings he held with prominent political figures.

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