This is a complete list of the Presidents of the Government of Morocco since 1955:
No. | Name | Term(s) | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Mbarek Bekkay | 7 Dec 1955 - 12 May 1958 | Independent |
2 | Ahmed Balafrej | 12 May 1958 - 16 Dec 1958 | Istiqlal Party |
3 | Abdallah Ibrahim | 16 Dec 1958 - 20 May 1960 | Istiqlal Party |
4 | Ahmed Bahnini | 24 Dec 1958 - 20 May 1960 | Istiqlal Party |
5 | Mohamed Benhima | 13 Nov 1963 - 8 Nov 1965 | Istiqlal Party |
6 | Ahmed Laraki | 6 Jul 1967 - 7 Oct 1969 | Istiqlal Party |
7 | Ahmed Osman | 7 Oct 1969 - 4 Aug 1971 | Istiqlal Party |
8 | Mohammed Karim Lamrani | 5 Nov 1971 - 30 Nov 1983 | Istiqlal Party |
9 | Maati Bouabid | 10 Oct 1977 - 27 Mar 1979 | Istiqlal Party |
10 | Azzeddine Laraki | 30 Sep 1986 - 10 Aug 1992 | Istiqlal Party |
11 | Abdellatif Filali | 1994 - 1998 | Istiqlal Party |
12 | Abderrahmane Youssoufi | 1998 - 2002 | Socialist Union |
13 | Driss Jettou | 2002 - 2007 | Istiqlal Party |
14 | Abbas El Fassi | 2007 - 2012 | Istiqlal Party |
15 | Abdelilah Benkirane | 2011 - 2017 | Justice and Development Party |
16 | Saadeddine Othmani | 2017 - 2021 | Justice and Development Party |
17 | Aziz Akhannouch | 2021 - Present | National Rally of Independents |
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First President Of Morocco
The first president of Morocco was Mbarek Bekkay, who served as president from December 7, 1955, to May 12, 1958. Mbarek Bekkay became president shortly after Morocco gained independence from French colonial rule on March 2, 1956.
Mbarek Bekkay was born in 1907 in a town called Berkane in Morocco, and he was very active in the nationalist movement. This movement aimed to make Morocco free from French control, also helping Morocco achieve independence.
After Morocco became free, he was part of the group that formed the new government. As the first president, Mbarek Bekkay faced many challenges.
One of his main tasks was to establish a stable government for the new nation. He also had to address the needs of the people and the country after years of colonial rule.
However, Bekkay’s time as president was not very long. He resigned from his position in May 1958. After his resignation, Ahmed Balafrej succeeded him as the president.
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Who Is The Current President Of Morocco?
The current head of government in Morocco is Aziz Akhannouch. He has been in office since October 7, 2021. Aziz Akhannouch was appointed by King Mohammed VI after his party, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), won the most seats in the 2021 parliamentary elections.
As the head of government, Akhannouch is responsible for making policies and managing the country’s affairs. He leads a team of different ministers and secretaries of state who oversee different sectors like health, education, and agriculture.
Aziz Akhannouch was born in Tafraoute in 1961, and he has a degree in business management from the University of Sherbrooke in Canada. Before becoming prime minister, he was the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 2007 to 2021.
During that time, he started several important projects to improve agriculture in Morocco, including the Green Morocco Plan, which aimed to modernize and develop the agricultural sector.
In addition to his role as prime minister, Akhannouch is also the president of the National Rally of Independents, a political party active in Moroccan politics.
While Aziz Akhannouch is the head of government, King Mohammed VI has authority over the military, religious matters, and the judiciary.
So, the prime minister’s role is more like managing the government’s day-to-day activities, while the king has a broader range of control over the country. Recently, Morocco has been increasing its involvement in international affairs.
For example, Morocco’s ambassador to the UN, Omar Zniber, was elected as the president of the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2024.