With five months to go before the next legislative elections, Abdelilah Benkirane urges members of the PJD to prepare for coexisting with the «control exercised by the State» and the «privileges». As he did between 2012 and 2017, he invited them to «overcome the barriers erected by the State» in order to solve certain problems. Abdelilah Benkirane / Archive photo ‹ › «In our State, there is control», Abdelilah Benkirane acknowledged on Sunday during an internal meeting of the PJD. «This control is not limited to the economy or sectors such as justice; it is everywhere, and it is not entirely negative. The question is whether we can achieve anything within this framework», he said. He went on to highlight the «achievements» of his government between January 2012 and March 2017, arguing that they were «in the interest of the State and society». «We managed to address difficult State issues, such as the reform of the Compensation Fund», the former head of government said. «I still regret not having completed this project. Certainly, the people paid the price, but now they are face to face with those who are robbing them», he added. Control forced Akhannouch to withdraw «You cannot eliminate control, and it would be wrong to say it should disappear entirely. It is thanks to this control that Aziz Akhannouch withdrew, and without a doubt, that withdrawal is in your interest», Benkirane stated. He adopted a similar tone regarding «privileges»: «You are not in a position to eradicate them. The question is whether you can act despite their existence», he told party members, urging his «brothers» and «sisters» to remain «honest» within a system marked by «State control» and «economic privileges». Faced with these constraints, Benkirane called for «a government that tries» to reform, while acknowledging that such an executive «cannot fix everything». The PJD secretary-general also stressed in his 17-minute speech that «the State sets barriers for honest parties». «If you are unable to overcome them, then you are not viable», he added, while criticizing «groups beyond reason» that attack the State «without offering anything to Moroccans». His remarks appeared to target Al Adl wal Ihssane, following recent criticism from Hassan Bennajah, a prominent member of the movement, of the PJD's time in government. «Those who speak, even if they are right on certain points, must present clear and simple solutions. In politics, you cannot do whatever you want», he insisted. Benkirane urged party members to operate within the «limits» imposed by Morocco's political context, concluding by recalling his government's «successes», including reforms to the Compensation Fund and pensions, as well as support for widows. On Saturday, during a meeting at his home with the party's 13 MPs, Benkirane also claimed that «the PJD dominates the political scene in Morocco».
