Morocco king appoints ex-Justice and Development Party MP to head economic council

The Royal Court announced yesterday that King Mohammed VI of Morocco has appointed new officials to head government institutions including the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), the National Authority for Integrity, Prevention, and Fight Against Corruption (INPPLC), and the Kingdom’s Minister of Industry, Minister of Energy and Minister of Equipment.

The new appointments include the return of former Justice and Development Party MP, Abdelkader Amara, after his appointment as president of the CESE, succeeding Mohamed Reda Chami.

Succeeding Bachir Rachidi, Mohamed Benalilou was appointed president of the INPPLC, after leaving his position at the Ombudsman of the Kingdom to Hassan Tariq.

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A statement by the Royal Court said that these appointments fall within the framework of the monarch’s commitment “to ensuring these institutions fulfil the duties assigned to them by the Kingdom’s Constitution, and to strengthening their role in establishing the principles of good governance, promoting participatory democracy, and protecting rights and freedoms.”

According to the statement, they also reflect the importance the king attaches to “these bodies, as independent constitutional institutions, in order to inject new dynamism into their missions and enhance their interaction with various national institutions, in alignment with the various reforms and major projects taking place in the kingdom.”

The new CESE President Abdelkader Amara held several ministerial positions under the Justice and Development Party including Minister of Industry (2012-2013), Minister of Energy (2013-2016) and Minister of Equipment (2017).

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