Former leftist activist tapped to lead Morocco's opposition party

Morocco's main opposition party has elected a new secretary general, the party announced on Sunday.

Hakim Benchamach was nominated on Saturday night during a special session of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity's (PAM) national council in Sale, a city near the capital Rabat. 

Benchamach is speaker of the House of Councilors and won 439 votes compared to 39 for closest rival Mohamed Soulouh and 35 for Hadi El Hiba. 

He succeeds Ilyas El Omari, a former far-left activist who has led PAM since 2016. 

PAM was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close adviser to the king of Morocco. 

The new PAM head, who is seen as close to Omari, has since 2015 chaired Morocco's second chamber of parliament - making him the country's fourth most important political figure. 

Like his predecessor, Benchamach - a native of the country's northern Rif area and a former leftist activist - will serve as a "modernist" bulwark against the ruling Islamist Justice and Development (PJD) party. 

PAM came in second behind the PJD during parliamentary polls in October 2017. It has since lost some influence to a rival liberal party favoured by the palace. 

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