126 The United States and North Africa
the southern border regions and caused minor incidents until French troops were withdrawn a year later. Late in 1957, however, ex-leaders of the Liberation Army formed a new political party, the Popular Movement, which stressed a vague doctrine of "Islamic socialism," and has shown strength in rural and Berber areas in which the Army had previously operated.
After the restoration of public order, which was completed by the end of 1956, Moroccan political life blossomed. Since independence there have been six goveroments, four of them polircal cabinets and the last two formed and presided over by the King. The first government of Si Bekkai lasted until October 1956, bat was under constant attack by the Istiqlal, which wanted all the cabinet posts instead of a mere majority.
In fact, the cabinet was a governing instiution in name only a0 this time because of the unlimited nature of royal power, and the separate political activity which flourished in the palace with all its ramifications, plus royal control of the Army and the police. When the second, all-Istiqlal government was formed, the King recained Si Bekkai, personally loyal to him, as head of governmeat and formned a crown council to handle certain matters thar he did not want to go through the cabinet.
Thus, the Istiqlal did not ever have full power and it was, moreover, beginning to show signs of intemal strein. The enthusiastic support ic had received from a majority of the people just after independence was giving way to disillusionment as the economy slowed down and the standard of living dipped. Also there was a basic cleavage berween the old-guard leadership which had come from and represented more conservative circles and a minoricy group headed by Mehdi ben
cused the party of having lost contact with popular realicy and which turned to the urban proletariat for support. The quarrel was noticeable in 1957, when the tone of party publications controlled by each faction started to clash. After the Itiglal ministars had resigned and brought down the second
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