CAIRO Ñ Morocco's King Mohammed has sent a tough message to his
political opposition with the appointment of his security chief as prime
minister.
The king replaced his longtime Prime Minister Abdul Rahman Yusefi with
Interior Minister Driss Jettou. Jettou, 57, who does not belong to any
political party, is said to be a confidante of the king and has directed the
current
crackdown against Islamic militants.
More than 1,000 suspected insurgents have been detained in wake of the
discovery of an Al Qaida cell in the
kingdom. The cell was said to have planned to attack NATO ships in the
Mediterranean and carry out suicide missions in Morocco.
On Friday night, Mohammed urged parliament to support democracy and
tackle
such issues as poverty, education and housing. He also called for a renewed
commitment to administrative, financial and judicial reforms.
Islamic sources said they were not surprised by Jettou's appointment.
They said the king wanted a non-aligned government leader who would ensure
political stability amid turmoil in the region.
Yusefi has led the Socialist Union, which has often been at odds with
the king and security authorities. Yusefi's government has sought to advance
human rights and investigate the excesses of the nearly 40-year rule of the
king's late father, Hassan.
The appointment of Jettou has angered the Socialist Union, which won the
largest number of seats, 50, in parliamentary elections on Sept. 27. The
party rejected the king's decision and said it did not represent the results
of the elections and that the prime minister should be appointed from the
winning party.
Morocco's constitution allows the kingdom the freedom to appoint a prime
minister. Such a decision does not depend on the strength of parliamentary
forces.
In contrast, other major parties hailed the appointment of Jettou with
politicians saying this would facilitate the formation of a coalition
majority. This included the Independence Party, the second largest movement,
in parliament.
The Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party, with the third
largest faction in parliament, also welcomed
Jettou's appointment. The party more than tripled its representation in
parliament and had vowed not to join any coalition led by the socialists.
"There was no strong personality or party available on the Moroccan
political map that would allow for a strong government," Saadeddin Othmani,
deputy secretary-general of the Islamic party, said.
Last week, Jettou met with political leaders and outlined his reform
platform. Several leading politicians said they would help Jettou form a
ruling coalition.
