Abbas El Fassi Explained

Abbas El Fassi
Office2:Secretary-General of the Istiqlal Party
Term Start2:1998
Term End2:23 September 2012
Predecessor2:Driss Jettou
Successor2:Hamid Chabat
Office1:14th Prime Minister of Morocco
Monarch1:Mohammed VI
Term Start1:19 September 2007
Term End1:29 November 2011
Predecessor1:Driss Jettou
Successor1:Abdelilah Benkirane
Birth Date:18 September 1940
Birth Place:Berkane, Morocco
Party:Istiqlal Party
Native Name Lang:ar

Abbas El Fassi (; Arabic: عباس الفاسي; born 18 September 1940) is a Moroccan politician and businessman who served as the 14th Prime Minister of Morocco from 19 September 2007 to 29 November 2011. El Fassi, a member of the Istiqlal Party, replaced independent Driss Jettou.[1]

Early life and career

El Fassi was born in Berkane, Morocco, on 18 September 1940. He served as the Minister of Housing from 1977 to 1981, Minister of Handicraft and Social Affairs from 1981 to 1985, ambassador to Tunisia and the Arab League from 1985 to 1990, ambassador to France from 1990 to 1994, and as Minister of Employment, Professional Training, Social Development and Solidarity from 2000 to 2002. He then took up the post of Minister of State in the Jettou government from 2002 to 2007.[2] [3] King Mohammed VI appointed El Fassi as prime minister on 19 September 2007 following Istiqlal's victory in the parliamentary elections on 7 September.[1]

His government was appointed by Mohammed VI on 15 October 2007 with 33 members (not including El Fassi), including seven women. Five political parties were included in this government: Istiqlal, liberal Mouvement Populaire (MP), the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), the National Rally of Independents (RNI), and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).[4]

Controversies

Abbas el Fassi was Moroccan ambassador to France when Gilles Perrault's political pamphlet "Notre ami, le roi", about human rights abuses in Morocco, was published in France. Ties between Morocco and France deteriorated with the publication of the book.[5]

Notes and References

  1. 2007 . Morocco Names New Prime Minister . . 20 September 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121020144722/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0%2C8599%2C1663621%2C00.html?xid=rss-topstories . 20 October 2012 .
  2. Web site: 2007 . Morocco's new PM named . News 24 . 20 September 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071018070252/http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0%2C%2C2-11-1447_2186910%2C00.html . 18 October 2007 . dead .
  3. Web site: 2007 . King appoints conservative Abbas el Fassi Prime Minister . Maghreb Arabe Presse . 20 September 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070924221446/http://www.map.ma/eng/sections/politics/king_appoints_conser8927/view . 24 September 2007 . dead .
  4. http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/maroc/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP25407leroiselici0 "Le roi nomme un nouveau gouvernement après des tractations difficiles"
  5. Web site: Archived copy . 17 February 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160531010343/http://www.telquel-online.com/289/couverture1_289.shtml . 31 May 2016 . dead .