Moroccans continue to trust the PJD

A public opinion survey just published by the Arab Centre for Political Research and Studies (CAREP) sheds interesting light on Moroccans? opinion of their first Islamist-dominated government. While the opposition remains inflexible in its criticism of the government and part of the coalition is actually ready to throw in the towel and pull out of government, the Moroccan public actually seems quite well disposed to the Benkirane government.

 

Although 91% of respondents felt that corruption continues to plague the civil service, 63% remain convinced that the government is determined to fight the problem; 57% said that they felt the government would manage to deal with corruption while 65% felt that the press is free in Morocco – a position which independent analysts would find untenable.

 

Meanwhile 70% said that they had no worries about the Islamist government having a hidden agenda. While the results of such surveys are problematic in many ways, at the very least this particular set of results suggests that Moroccans are still ready to give the PJD the benefit of the doubt.

 

This interpretation would seem to suggest that the Parti de l?Istiqlal is out of synch with the dominant feeling about the country?s leadership. Istiqlal leader Hamid Chabat could therefore suffer should early elections have to be called.

 

For more news and expert analysis about Morocco, please see Morocco Politics & Security.

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