VZCZCXRO4608
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHRB #1517 2641648
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 211648Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7474
INFO RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 3529
RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4784
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 5792
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3094
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 1192

UNCLAS RABAT 001517 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PINR PGOV MO
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY OF ABBAS EL FASSI, PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE 
 
¶1. Abass El Fassi was born on September 18, 1940 in Berkane, near 
the Algerian border. His father was a local judge and his 
father-in-law was Allal El Fassi, the founder of the Istiqlal Party 
and the leader of the independence movement.  Born to the party, 
Abbas joined the Istiqlal youth scout movement. He studied law in 
Morocco and later practiced as an attorney. 
 
¶2. In 1961 he was elected President of the Moroccan Student General 
Union (a student organization affiliated with the Istiqlal).  In 
1972, he became Secretary General of the Moroccan League for Human 
Rights, but any such activity was sharply limited at the time.  In 
1974, he was elected to the 16-member National Executive Committee 
of the Istiqlal.  He was re-elected to the committee twice (1978 and 
1982).  In 1983-1984 he was a member of the Istiqlal delegation that 
participated in the historic convention in Tunis of political 
parties of the Maghreb. This helped to lay the groundwork for the 
Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) and for Fassi's later diplomatic career. 
 
 
¶3. From October 1977 to November 1981 he served as the Minister of 
Housing. In September 1984, he was elected MP from Larache in 
north-western Morocco. He served as Minister of Handicrafts and 
Social Affairs from November 1981 to April 1985.  He was the 
Moroccan Ambassador to Tunisia and the Arab League from 1985 to 
1990, and was the Moroccan representative to the Secretariat of the 
Arab Maghreb Union from January 1990 to July 1990.  He was 
Ambassador to France from 1990 to 1994 and then returned to 
political party work. 
 
¶4. In February 1998, he was elected Secretary General of the 
Istiqlal party, replacing M'hamed Boucetta.  From September 2000 to 
September 2002 he was nominated Minister of Employment, Professional 
Training, Social Development and Solidarity. 
 
¶5. After his election to Parliament in 2002, he was named Minister 
of State (without portfolio); the number 2-ranking member of the 
government.  He carried out many diplomatic functions, some 
involving the Western Sahara, and worked on international Islamic 
affairs, including leading the Moroccan delegation to the OIC.  He 
has represented the King at foreign presidential inaugurations.  He 
accompanied Foreign Minister Benaissa to Washington in October 2007, 
the most recent visit there. 
 
¶6. He is married with four children: One daughter is a lawyer, one 
son is a banker, and the other son was elected on the Istiqlal party 
ticket to local government office.