Saadeddine Othmani

Saadeddine Othmani
ⵙⴰⵄⴷ ⴷⴷⵉⵏ ⵍⵄⵓⵜⵎⴰⵏⵉ سعد الدين العثماني
Othmani in 2018
16th Prime Minister of Morocco
In office 17 March 2017 – 7 October 2021
Monarch	Mohammed VI
Preceded by	Abdelilah Benkirane
Succeeded by	Aziz Akhannouch
Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party
In office 10 December 2017 – 9 September 2021
Preceded by	Abdelilah Benkirane
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
In office 3 January 2012 – 10 October 2013
Prime Minister	Abdelilah Benkirane
Preceded by	Taieb Fassi Fihri
Succeeded by	Salaheddine Mezouar
Leader of the Justice and Development Party
In office 1 July 2004 – 20 July 2008
Preceded by	Abdelkrim al-Khatib
Succeeded by	Abdelilah Benkirane
Member of Parliament for Mohammedia
In office 7 September 2007 – 8 October 2021
Member of Parliament for Inezgane
In office 14 November 1997 – 7 September 2007
Personal details
Born	(1956-01-16) 16 January 1956 (age 68) Inezgane, Morocco
Political party	Justice and Development Party

Saadeddine Othmani (Berber languages: ⵙⴰⵄⴷ ⴷⴷⵉⵏ ⵍⵄⵓⵜⵎⴰⵏⵉ; Arabic: سعد الدين العثماني; born 16 January 1956), sometimes translated as Saad Eddine el-Othmani, is a Moroccan politician.^[1] He served as the 16th prime minister of Morocco from 17 March 2017 to 7 October 2021.^[2] Previously he served as foreign minister from 2012 to 2013.^[3]

Following the 2011 legislative elections giving victory to the PJD, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation in the resulting cabinet formed in January 2012, a position he held until October 2013.^[4] Since 2002, he has also been a member of the Maghreb Council of the Choura, the advisory council of the Arab Maghreb Union.^[5]

Early life and education

Othmani was born in 1956 in Inezgane, near Agadir, in the Souss region. He comes from a famous Chleuh family from Sous originating from the village of Aguercif (a small village that belongs to the Amanouz tribes near Tafraout), which according to Mohamed Mokhtar Soussi, is "one of the only two families in Morocco where science has been perpetuated for more than a thousand years".^[6][7] This is Islamic jurisprudence and not science in the modern sense. His family immigrated to a village in the Ammelne valley and then to Inezgane.

In 1976, he received his baccalaureate in math, he then moved to Casablanca to pursue a PhD at the city's Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, which he received in 1987. He also studied Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Sharia Law in Aït Melloul, receiving his bachelor's degree in 1983 and his master's degree in 1987.^[8] In 1994, he began practicing as a psychiatrist.^[9]

He has written numerous books on psychology and Islamic law, and worked as the editor-in-chief of many magazines and publications.

Political career

In 2004, after the withdrawal from politics of Abdelkrim Alkhatib, Othmani became the head of the Justice and Development Party (PJD).^[1] At the time, he was also a parliamentary deputy for Inezgane. He was later succeeded by Abdelilah Benkirane in 2008, and became leader of the party once again in 2017 following Benkirane's failure to form a government.^[10]

Othmani was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 3 January 2012 to 10 October 2013 in the government headed by his party, the PJD. He was succeeded as Minister of Foreign Affairs by Salaheddine Mezouar. Subsequently, he headed the parliamentary group of the PJD.^[11]

Othmani meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in Rabat on 5 December 2019.

On 17 March 2017, he was appointed as prime minister by King Mohammed VI, after Benkirane was dismissed for failing to form a new coalition.^[3][12] Othmani later said that his appointment was "unexpected."^[13]

On 25 March 2017, he announced that the government he was leading would include the PJD, the National Rally of Independents, the Popular Movement, the Constitutional Union, the Party of Progress and Socialism and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces.^[14] It was formed on 5 April 2017.^[15]

Othmani's government was viewed as francophile.^[16] On 26 November 2017, he announced the dismissal of four cabinet members for allegedly failing to implement the government's development program for Morocco's northern Rif region.^[17] In December 2017, he was elected new party leader of the PJD.^[18]

On 24 August 2020, Othmani, along with his party, rejected normalizing relations with Israel, stating doing so would breach Palestinian rights.^[19][20] In 2021, he received Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Rabat to express his support for the Palestinian cause.^[21][22][23]

On 8 September 2021, in the legislative elections, his party won 13 of the 395 seats, losing nearly 90% of the seats obtained in 2016, including Othmani's own seat in Mohammedia. Benkirane called upon Othmani to resign from his position as party leader.^[24][25][26] Many politicians blamed Othmani for his poor performance.^[27] The following day, Othmani decided to resign from his position as Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party.^[28][29][30] Aziz Akhannouch of the National Rally of Independents was appointed by Mohammed VI on 10 September to form a government,^[31][32] and succeeded him on 7 October. A ceremony marking the transfer of the office was held the following day.^[33]

Personal life

After leaving office in October 2021, Othmani resumed his job at his private psychiatric practice in Rabat.^[34][35] He also released a book about the path of prominent Moroccan figures in the world of jurisprudence and politics.^[36][37]

References

1. Black, Ian (10 September 2007). "Morocco Islamists say vote unfair". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
2. "رؤساء الحكومة السابقون". www.cg.gov.ma (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
3. "King of Morocco names Saad Eddine El Othmani as new prime minister – France 24". France 24. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
4. "ملك المغرب يعيّن سعد الدين العثماني رئيسا للحكومة خلفا لابن كيران". CNN Arabic (in Arabic). 17 March 2017. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
5. "From Rabat, Dbeibah calls for Arab Maghreb Union revival". AW. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
6. "سعد الدين العثماني..القوة الهادئة". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 3 January 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
7. "تعرف على العثماني رئيس الحكومة المغربية". www.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
8. Igrouane, Youssef. "Saad Eddine Othmani: The Journey of a Smiling Islamist". Morocco world news. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
9. "Can Morocco's New Prime Minister End the Country's Deadlock?". OZY. 1 December 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
10. "Maroc : comment Abdelilah Benkirane a perdu la partie au PJD – Jeune Afrique". JeuneAfrique.com (in French). 11 December 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
11. "Morocco's King Mohammed VI names new prime minister", Africanews, 17 March 2017.
12. Staff Writer. "King Mohammed VI Appoints Saad Eddine Othmani New Head of Government". Morocco world news. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
13. Igrouane, Youssef. "King's Decision to Appoint me Took me By Surprise: Saad Eddine Othmani". Morocco World News. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
14. "Saad Eddine Othmani Announces end of Deadlock, Formation of Government", Morocco World News, 25 March 2017.
15. "Maroc : le roi nomme un gouvernement de technocrates qui marginalise les islamistes", Le Monde, 5 April 2017 (in French).
16. "A row over teaching in French has reopened old wounds in Morocco". The Economist. 17 August 2019.
17. "Morocco PM tells cabinet to 'draw lesson' from firings". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
18. "Saad Eddine El Othmani Elected New Leader of the PJD". Morocco World News. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
19. "Morocco PM rejects normalising ties with Israel". MEO. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
20. "No normalization with Israel: Moroccan PM was speaking on behalf of his party – The North Africa Post". Retrieved 7 October 2022.
21. "Saad Dine El Otmani reçoit en grande pompe le leader du Hamas Ismail Haniyeh". Hespress Français (in French). 16 June 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
22. "In Morocco, Hamas chief seeks wider support for Palestinians |". AW. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
23. "Hamas chief meets Morocco PM". Middle East Monitor. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
24. من الرباط, هسبريس. "بعد "الهزيمة المدوية" في الانتخابات .. بنكيران يدعو العثماني إلى الاستقالة". Hespress.
25. Center, MENA Research and Studies (13 September 2021). "After Justice and Development's Defeat, Benkirane Calls on the Moroccan Prime Minister to Resign". MENA Research and Study Center. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
26. CMS, ES. "Elections in Morocco; Citizens' Punishment for the Islamic Party Was Beyond All Expectations". Al-Estiklal Newspaper. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
27. "بنكيران: "البيجيدي" صار "محْكورا".. والعثماني يتحمل مسؤولية الهزيمة المدوية". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 27 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
28. Machloukh, Anass. "Après la raclée électorale, El Othmani et son secrétariat général démissionnent". L'Opinion (in French). Retrieved 10 September 2021.
29. "Islamist Saad Eddine El Othmani resigns as head of PJD after election debacle". Atalayar. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
30. Kasraoui, Safaa. "Morocco's El Othmani Resigns from PJD's General Secretariat". Morocco world news. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
31. "Mohammed VI nomme Aziz Akhannouch Chef de gouvernement". Telquel (in French). Retrieved 10 September 2021.
32. "Morocco's king names businessman Aziz Akhannouch to lead new government". France 24. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
33. "Transfer of Powers between Saad Dine El Otmani, New Head of Govt Aziz Akhannouch". Maghreb Arabe Presse. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
34. "El Othmani rouvre son cabinet de psychiatrie (PHOTO)". 16 October 2021.
35. "العثماني يعود إلى عيادة الطب النفسي بالعاصمة". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 16 October 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
36. "العثماني يؤرخ مسارات شخصيات مغربية". Hespress - هسبريس جريدة إلكترونية مغربية (in Arabic). 2 June 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
37. "العثماني يؤرخ في مؤلف جديد لمسار شخصيات مغربية بارزة في عالم الفقه والسياسة". اليوم 24 – أخبار اليوم على مدار الساعة (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 October 2022.

Political offices
Preceded by Abdelilah Benkirane	Prime Minister of Morocco 2017–2021	Succeeded by Aziz Akhannouch