Morocco's leftist parties must unite in one party, says house speaker

Speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives Abdelouahed Radi has called Moroccan leftist political parties to group in one party to reduce dissipation of political forces.

Radi, a member of the political bureau of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP-leading the current Moroccan coalition government), made the statement in an interview published Wednesday by Moroccan weekly La Gazette Du Maroc.

He stated that all leftist political formations stem from the Istiqlal party (set up in 1944) except for the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS, ex-Communist Party).

Three years after Morocco got its independence in 1956, Moroccan parties witnessed several schisms, Abdelouahed Radi said, stressing that the fourteen political parties currently existing in Morocco are too many.

The speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives called further for the reinforcement of dialogue and compromise between Moroccan parties because in democracy, he said, no one can claim he detains the truth.