Special to WorldTribune.com

CAIRO — King Mohammed has tightened his grip on the new Islamist
government in Morocco.

Western diplomats and analysts said the king has ensured that all of the
defense, security and financial portfolios in the new Cabinet of Islamist
Prime Minister Abdul Ilah Benkirane would remain with royalists. They
included the Defense Ministry, Finance Ministry and Interior Ministry.

“The king did not lose any control,” a Western diplomatic source said.

On Jan. 3, Benkirane’s 31-member Cabinet was sworn in, nominally led by his Justice and Development Party, or PJD. The prime minister’s party, however, took only 12 of 31 portfolios, the most powerful of them the Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry.

“This new government has a true will for reform and we will keep all the promises we made,” Benkirane said.

But PJD, which won the Nov. 25 parliamentary elections with 107 out of 395 seats, was forced to grant the Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry to coalition partners aligned to the king. Aziz Akhannouch, whose party is not a coalition member, was appointed agricultural minister, deemed another powerful portfolio.

Mohand Laenser, leading of the Popular Movement, was appointed interior
minister, responsible for internal security.

The diplomats said the king, a major ally of the United States, vetted
PJD appointments to ensure that they were not filled by those deemed anti-West. They said the palace
initially rejected Benkirane’s selection of Mustapha Ramid as justice
minister.

Ramid, an attorney, has been a vociferous critic of Washington and
defended Islamic insurgents. After weeks of wrangling the king relented on
the appointment but selected so-called minister delegates meant to oversee
ministerial decisions.

Abdul Latif Loudiyi was one minister-delegate appointed by the king.
Loudiyi was assigned responsibility for the administration of national
defense. The Cabinet does not contain a formal defense minister.

“Deputies have also been appointed from within palace ranks,” Moroccan
analyst Mohammed Najimi said.

Another palace appointment was that of government secretary-general. The
post, given to Driss Dahak, was meant to block the advancement of
legislation proposed either by parliament or the government and opposed by
the king.

“The king wants Benkirane to succeed, but not at the expense of harming
the kingdom,” the diplomatic source said.

  Aziz Akhannouch, Justice and Development Party, King Mohammed, Mohand Laenser, Moroccan king maintains control over new Islamist government, Mustapha Ramid, Popular Movement, Prime Minister Abdul Ilah Benkirane