Salaheddine Mezouar elected head of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises

Former Foreign Minister, Salaheddine Mezouar, was elected on Tuesday President of General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) at an elective General Assembly held in Casablanca.

Mezouar, who paired with Fayçal Mekouar, got 5,173 votes against 1,432 for his rival Hakim Marrakchi who has Assia Benhida as fellow candidate, at the end of the secret ballot.

The new CGEM head will assume a 3-year mandate, renewable once, and succeeds Miriem Bensaleh Cheqroun, first woman to lead the body.

Born in 1953 in Meknes, Mezouar held the position of foreign minister and former chairman of the Moroccan association for textile and clothing industries (AMITH).

He was also, for many years, president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) before current agriculture minister Aziz Akhannouch takes the helm of the party.