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Rabat – Facing questioning from the political party members for the first time since the beginning of the Rif Protests in October 2016, Minister of Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, wondered at “the persistence of protest movements despite the positive interactivity of the government with the various expressed demands.”
In response to topical questions in the House of Representatives, Laftit also “questioned the parties behind the denigration of the development efforts of the government in the region and pushing the government’s open dialogue to a stalemate.”
The minister also spoke of a “plan adopted by some parties to mislead public opinion and disseminate false facts via (…) the publication of false information about social networks and instant messaging applications.”
Aware of Insufficient Efforts
“The State is aware that these efforts are insufficient to achieve better development and to meet the needs of the population, which has prompted the State to take a proactive approach to making the region a center of development,” Laftit said.
He also stressed that the spirit which characterizes government action in the implementation of development projects in the province of Al Hoceima, is the same that marks the efforts and initiatives in all provinces across Morocco.
Laftit noted the need to strengthen the positive role of “unions, civil society and the media, in addition to political parties which are closer to the population.”
Last week, the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) submitted a written request to Laftit to discuss the Rif protests. They were sparked in October 2016 following the death of Mouhcine Fikri, a fishmonger who was fatally crushed in a trash compactor while attempting to retrieve merchandise discarded by authorities.
The aim of this request is to “discuss the behaviour of police forces during peaceful demonstrations” which took place in Al Hoceima and neighbouring towns, said the PJD. “We want to know everything about what has happened in this city and its region, the reasons for the disputes, the protests, but also the proposed solutions and the situation in regard to laws and rights,” said the PJD.
