Almost two months after a boycott campaign was launched on social media in the Kingdom, a member of the National Rally of Independents urged Aziz Akhannouch to give up on the party's presidency. National Rally of Independents activist Rachid Sassi urged, Sunday in a Facebook statement, Aziz Akhannouch to resign and give up on the party's presidency, referring to the viral boycott campaign targeting one of the products he owns. The politician argued that «serving as the president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and at the same time as head of business enterprises might create a conflict of interests». On April the 20th, a viral boycott campaign saw life in Morocco targeting three major products, namely milk (Central Danone), gas (Afriquia) and bottled water (Sidi Ali). Aziz Akhannouch and through Akwa Group, owns gas company Afriquia SMDC, which is also boycotted. Criticizing Akhannouch «As head of the party, Aziz Akhannouch should make the right, courageous and reasonable decision to defend the nation's interests and ones of his party», wrote Sassi, adding that the politician «must resign and wait for things to clear up to regain the trust he used to enjoy». Sassi also asked members of his party's political bureau to «have the courage and wisdom needed to approach the issue from a sincere point of view, respecting the Moroccan people». For the record, RNI's latest body meeting dates back to April the 4th. It is not the first time that Rachid Sassi publically criticizes an RNI leader. In January 2010, he was against the election of Salaheddine Mezouar as president of the party and in October 2016, he did the same with Aziz Akhannouch. In January 2010, Moroccan politician Mustapha Mansouri who headed the National Rally of Independents party in the past was brutally deprived from that position because of a correction movement launched for several months. He was immediately replaced by Salaheddine Mezouar and then Finance Minister Abbas El Fassi.
