Addressing the House of Councillors on October 21, Head of government Fatima Zahra Mansouri rejected accusations that the new government was little more than a reshuffle of its predecessor, defended the creation of an artificial intelligence ministry and explained why she had moved rural development away from the Agriculture Ministry.
Here are six takeaways from her replies.
1. Mansouri says she learned about Khayr’s past after appointing her
Mansouri said documents and information raising concerns about former vocational training minister Madiha Khayr emerged only after the government was formed, despite Khayr having received judicial rehabilitation in 2019.
She said the information made it difficult for Khayr to continue overseeing public funds and prompted her to request her dismissal from King Mohammed VI, who approved it.
“This isn’t confusion. This is courage,” Mansouri said, rejecting accusations that the dismissal, less than 48 hours after Khayr’s appointment, exposed disorder within her new government.
She did not publicly detail the vetting carried out before the appointment or establish that the allegations against Khayr had been proven.
2. She says the government could approve the budget before winning confidence
Mansouri defended the government’s approval and submission of its draft 2027 Finance Bill before securing parliamentary confidence, arguing that it had to respect the October 20 statutory deadline.
“We have not yet debated the draft Finance Bill. All we have done is respect the legal deadline for submitting it to the House of Representatives,” she said.
She described meeting the deadline amid government formation as both an achievement and a near-miracle, arguing that delaying the budget process risked costing Morocco a financial year.
The legality of proceeding before investiture has nevertheless prompted disagreement among constitutional experts.
3. She rejected the RNI’s claim that her government is Akhannouch’s in disguise
The National Rally of Independents, which led the previous government, accused Mansouri’s coalition of reproducing Aziz Akhannouch’s policies without a sufficiently distinct economic or social agenda.
Mansouri dismissed suggestions that retaining two parties from the previous coalition made her government a simple reshuffle.
After 18 years in politics, she said, she knew the difference between an inventive opposition argument and one taking “the easy way.”
She maintained that her coalition had been formed around shared political choices, even where it intended to continue existing reforms.
4. She said rural development had to leave the Agriculture Ministry because the previous approach failed
Defending her decision to transfer rural development responsibilities away from the Agriculture Ministry, Mansouri argued that years of programs under the same department had failed to deliver the expected improvements for rural residents.
Had those policies worked and produced tangible results, she said, there would have been no reason to move the responsibilities elsewhere.
She described the reorganization as a “break with the past,” saying that maintaining unsuccessful approaches would not change conditions in rural Morocco.
5. She defended choosing a nonpartisan minister to lead artificial intelligence
Mansouri said the creation of an artificial intelligence portfolio was an economic decision, defending the appointment of Ahmed Rahhou as the only minister outside the coalition’s four political parties.
“If we miss this train,” she warned, Morocco could lose an opportunity that might not return.
She argued that the sector required specialized expertise and that Rahhou had not been asked to join PAM to take the position.
Her cabinet choices, she said, followed the principle of putting “the right person in the right place.”
6. She promised to fight conflicts of interest while defending a minister’s private investments
Mansouri said her government would not pursue policies that made wealthy Moroccans richer while leaving poorer households worse off, promising to tackle corruption, conflicts of interest and favoritism in business support.
She also defended a minister criticized over investments in the automotive industry, arguing that establishing a business before entering government did not automatically constitute a conflict of interest.
She said she was proud of ministers who invested in Morocco but considered it unacceptable for an officeholder to benefit financially from their position, even by a single dirham.
The government, she added, would simplify licensing procedures, improve conditions for businesses and pursue reforms despite financial constraints.
The post Mansouri answers Parliament: Six things to know before Morocco's confidence vote appeared first on HESPRESS English - Morocco News.