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FIFA Council member Lekjaa assumes position on Moroccan Government

President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and FIFA Council member Fouzi Lekjaa has assumed a Minister delegate position on the newly formed Moroccan Government.

According to Morocco World News, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI led an inauguration ceremony in Fez for the new Government, which will be led by Aziz Akhannouch, who was appointed as prime minister by the monarch following elections in September.

He formed a three-party coalition between his Rally of Independents Party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the conservative Istiqlal Party.

The Islamist Justice and Development Party had ruled Morocco for 10 years, but claimed only 13 seats at the election, with its leadership resigning.

King Mohammed VI has ruled Morocco since 1999.

The country runs as a constitutional monarchy following reforms in 2011, although the King retains ultimate power.

Lekjaa is a notable name in his newly formed cabinet, who will serve as minister delegate to the Ministry of Finance.

He was elected as FRMF President in 2014, and also serves on the Confederation of African Football Executive Board.

Morocco bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup but lost out to the joint United States, Canada and Mexico proposal.

The Moroccan official was elected to the FIFA Council – the main decision-making body in the organisation – in March this year.

Article 4.2 of the FIFA Statutes dictates that “FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion,” although “exceptions may be made with regard to matters affected by FIFA’s statutory objectives.”

The Statutes also require member associations and continental confederations to comply with this principle.

However, they do not explicitly prohibit Lekjaa from holding his new post as minister delegate alongside his role on the 37-member FIFA Council.

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The FRMF President has been one of the most vocal supporters of the controversial proposal to reduce the intervals between FIFA World Cups from four years to two years.

FIFA’s 71st Congress in May approved a motion from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation to undertake a feasibility study on holding a biennial World Cup, but the idea has sparked some strong criticism, including from UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin.

Opponents to the move have suggested it would dilute the value of the World Cup, undermine continental competitions and break with tradition, with the competition being held every four years since its incarnation in 1930, with the exception of the 12-year break from 1938 to 1950 because of the Second World War.

Lekjaa told Le360 Sport earlier this year a biennial World Cup would be “more democratic,” and in particular criticised European opposition to the move, claiming: “The ones who are against the World Cup every two years are in fact egotists because they are discriminating millions of people just to protect their own commercial interests.”

He added that the biennial World Cup would “give hope to hundreds of millions of people of our continent”.

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