Rabat- The Moroccan Government is considering reinforcing the protection and physical safety of its members in the wake of successive assaults against a number of ministers in recent weeks.
For the first time in the history of Moroccan governments, two Ministers from the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) were assaulted both verbally and physically.
The first one was El Hossine El Wardi, Minister of Health, who was assaulted two weeks ago by three pharmacists inside the Parliament headquarters. The second is Nabil Benabdellah, Minister of Housing and Secretary General of the PPS party, who was stoned on Sunday during his party’s rally in Assa Zag, a small town in Southern Morocco.
Benabdellah received a slight head injury, and was transported to the hospital to receive medical attention. In spite of the assault, the Minister managed to come back to the meeting.
According to Al Sabah newspaper in its issue of Tuesday, January 21st, Benkirane’s Government is considering providing Ministers with private security guards and bodyguards. However, the large number of Ministers in the ruling coalition makes it an enormous issue to tackle, says the same source.
Experts quoted by the newspaper hold Benkirane responsible for the status quo saying that his confrontational policies, especially towards unemployed youth and skyrocketing prices of essential goods have contributed to fueling anger in the streets.
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