New party holds constitutive assembly, elects temporary chairman

A new party, "Citizen forces," held its constitutive assembly here Saturday and elected Abderrahmane Lahjouji, former chairman of the Moroccan employers' association (CGEM), as its temporary chairman, pending the party's first national congress next March.

The constitutive assembly, that was attended by more than 2,500 founding members from all the regions of the kingdom, elected a 100-member national council and a 27-member executive council that will supervise the structuring and management of the new party and preparation of its national congress.

Lahjouji said in an address before the constitutive assembly that "Citizen forces" is a liberal party and that the liberalism it advocates does not seek individual benefits but is rather imbued by lofty humanitarian values targeting development, solidarity, tolerance and justice.

This party, he said, will contribute to moralizing political life in Morocco on the basis of a strategy, seeking to politicize national competencies, involve women in political life and rebuild youth's trust in political commitment.