Abdallah Ibrahim

While the French protectorate in Morocco officially ended on March 2, 1956, Abdallah Ibrahim continued to serve in the first Bekkay government. Despite compromises and disputes with certain ministers, many of whom were imposed on him, he applied a pro-poor social-democratic program, launched an ambitious public economic sector, and worked out of foreign military bases established in Morocco. However, he was fired by his personal enemy, the future Hassan II, after seeking to expel an American officer appointed to the cabinet of the Minister of the Interior.

He became, on October 26, 1956, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the second. After not having held any office in the Balafrej government (started on May 12, 1958), he was finally appointed, on December 24, 1958, as President of the Council of Government by King Mohammed V in concomitance with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He occupied that post until he was removed from office, May 20, 1960 [ref. necessary). The king himself became the President of the Council of the new government as of May 27.

In 1959, he approved the creation of the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP), with among others Mehdi Ben Barka and Abderrahim Bouabid. He was elected secretary general at the second congress. The UNFP had divergences between its leaders. The rupture became permanent, and the majority wing changed the name of the party to the Socialist Union of the Popular Forces during the extraordinary congress of 1975, Abderrahim Bouabid was elected First Secretary. This name change was considered necessary to eliminate any amalgam. Abdallah Ibrahim remained at the helm of the former UNFP. It put its political activities on the back burner, refusing to participate in all electoral processes launched since 1976.