King Mohammed VI has congratulated Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani for succeeding Abdelilah Benkirane as the new Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party.

In a message addressed to El Othmani, the King expressed his “sincere” congratulations to the head of government for the trust placed in him by the members of the party’s eighth national congress, emphasizing that this election mirrored the respect shown by the PJD to El Othmani’s partisan commitment, political career, and human qualities, reported Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).

“Given your unwavering attachment to the sacred constants and values of the Nation, your sincere patriotism and your high level of responsibility, there is no doubt that you will take the right path to strengthen the position of your party within the framework of pluralistic political landscape, in order to continue to contribute, alongside other serious political parties in consolidating the credibility of political practices which place the public interest above all other considerations,” said the King.

The monarch also paid tribute to Benkirane, the former head of government, for his laudable services to his country, his king, and his political party.

Benkirane was elected in 2008 as PJD’s Secretary General, defeating El Othmani. On November 25, members of the PJD overwhelmingly opposed changing the internal bylaws of the party to allow Benkirane to stand for a third term.

On Sunday, the current head of government was assured of the support of his PJD fellows, snatching 1006 voices against 912 for Driss Azami Idrissi, the mayor of Fez and second most favorable candidate for the position, according to the votes.

This would be El Othmani’s second mandate as a secretary general of the party after serving the same position from 2004 to 2008.