Morocco's king names new ministers to end deadlock

Reuters
King Mohammed (R) of Morocco greets an unidentified person as he is welcomed by Mali's new President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (C) at the Bamako-Senou International Airport September 18, 2013. REUTERS/Thierry Gouegnon

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's King Mohamed named 19 new ministers on Thursday after the Islamist prime minister reached a deal to form a new coalition and end months of deadlock in the North African kingdom, the state news agency said. As part of the changes, a new partner in the coalition, the center-right National Rally of Independents (RNI), will replace ministers from the conservative Istiqlal party, which left in July in a dispute over subsidy cuts and other issues. Morocco raised the number of ministers to 39 from 30 in the former government to satisfy all parties in the coalition, but the royal palace placed its allies in key ministries such as the interior and foreign affairs. Mohamed Hassad, head of the Tangier Port Authority and governor of the northern city, was named interior minister while Salaheddine Mezouar, the RNI leader, became foreign minister. (Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Rabat; editing by Patrick Markey and Mark Heinrich)