PJD PICKS A NEW, MORE HARDLINE, LEADER

C O N F I D E N T I A L RABAT 000678 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KISL MO SUBJECT: PJD PICKS A NEW, MORE HARDLINE, LEADER REF: 07 STATE 16679 Classified By: PolCouns Craig Karp. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) In an upset with potentially major implications, the PJD (Party of Justice and Development),Morocco's main Islamist opposition party, elected Abdelilah Benkirane as party leader at its national Congress July 20. Benkirane was the candidate of the "hardline" elements of the party, but has a longtime reputation for collaboration with the monarchy/makhzen. In a rare exercise of party democracy, he handily defeated sitting Secretary General Othmani, generally considered a moderate and pragmatist, but criticized for the party's disappointing showing in September elections. ¶2. (C) Before the opening of the Congress, a large number of attendees, particularly youth, chanted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans, including &Death to America!8 and &Death to Israel!8 Some of the PJD senior members who spoke at the Congress declared support for both Hamas and Hezbollah. A former Sudanese Minister of Education spoke and accused President Bush of being behind the International Criminal Court's decision to indict Sudanese President Bashir as a war criminal. ¶3. (C) In an example of politics making strange bedfellows, the leadership of the struggling and once powerful leftist USFP party was well represented at the PJD Congress. Despite their differences on personal social issues, the parties' populist economic stances are relatively similar. Many Moroccan political analysts interpreted this as a message to Fouad Ali El Himma's MTD, which has posed itself in opposition to the PJD alliance. In at least the short term, this likely will stem periodic speculation that the PJD could join the government and raise anxieties among pro-western Moroccans. ¶4. (C) In 2007, the USG revoked Benkirane's visa (reftel). ¶5. (C) Comment: The party has already tried to spin Benkirane as a relative moderate, according to press, stressing his support for the monarchy, and statements that he would not support legislating religious Islam. However, his record suggests otherwise. Under his stewardship, the PJD newspaper, Tajdid, was characterized by anti-US and Israeli screeds. Also, he has been both privately and publicly an advocate of a more Islamic approach domestically and a fierce critic of U.S. policies, although he has been generally an open interlocutor with us. Nonetheless, the margins for change in party behavior appear now likely to be limited. The PJD has shown it is possible for parties in Morocco to be internally democratic. We will be talking to contacts both inside and out of the party for more reaction. ***************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ***************************************** Riley