Morocco government breaks silence on Madiha Khayr’s dismissal

Morocco’s new government said Sunday that its decision to seek the dismissal of Madiha Khayr, just two days after her appointment, followed a joint political and institutional assessment by coalition partners after personal medical and judicial information concerning the minister circulated publicly.

Government spokesperson Samir Belfkih said in a statement issued October 18 that the administration had moved quickly to address the controversy surrounding Khayr’s appointment as minister delegate for vocational training and qualification.

The decision, he explained, reflected the government’s responsibility to ensure favorable conditions for completing its constitutional formation and securing parliamentary approval.

Belfkih acknowledged that the government had followed the circulation of personal medical and judicial information involving Khayr, saying the response was based on a shared assessment among the parties forming the parliamentary majority.

He did not address the substance or authenticity of the circulating documents or provide details of the discussions that led to the decision.

The statement followed an announcement by the Royal Cabinet confirming that King Mohammed VI had accepted Head of Government Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri’s request to relieve Khayr of her duties.

The request was submitted under the fourth paragraph of Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution, which allows the King to dismiss government members at the Head of Government’s request.

Khayr, an Istiqlal Party politician, had been appointed on Friday, October 16, as part of Mansouri’s new coalition government.

Her removal came amid widespread discussion of documents purportedly linked to a judicial investigation dating back to 2004. Their authenticity and the outcome of the reported proceedings have not been independently established.

Belfkih said the parties making up the governing coalition had reaffirmed their commitment to making the new administration successful and redirecting public discussion toward its government program and citizens’ expectations.

The coalition brings together the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Istiqlal, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS).

Together, they hold 207 seats in the 395-member House of Representatives, where the government must secure a vote of confidence before beginning its full legislative program.

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