Rabat – In the highly anticipated Throne Day speech delivered this Saturday night at 9 p.m., King Mohammed VI emphasized the unified nature of the Moroccan state in its approach to the crisis in the Rif.
Public speculations rang true: The Hirak was the main focus of King Mohammed VI’s speech.
The King heavily criticized public administrations, referring to what is taking place in some parts of the country, mainly Al Hoceima, as “an unprecedented lack of the sense of responsibility.” He further described the behavior of any official who would not carry out his missionas “treason.”
In his speech, the King put a large party of the administration and political class in their place. “This is unacceptable on the part of institutions whose role is to guide and represent the citizens and to serve their interests,” the sovereign said, adding that he “never expected partisan bickering and political score-settling to go as far as to jeopardize the interests of citizens.”
Faced with this severe laxity and carelessness, “law enforcement services have found themselves face to face with the citizens,” said the King, paying tribute to the law enforcement officers.
Contrary to what has been said, there has not been a “safe approach,” asserted King Mohammed VI. There are no two currents in the state, no “radical wing [nor] moderate wing” that “disagree on how to tackle these event.”
For King Mohammed VI, “nothing could be further from the truth!”
There is only one approach, one policy, and a “single, unwavering commitment”: to enforce the law and protect citizens and property. And for Mohammed VI, that’s what the security forces did. “Moroccans have every right and ought, in fact, to be proud of their law-enforcement authorities.”
The people behind the “afore-mentioned anachronous theory,” state the King, “are using it as a business undertaking.” He said that “they act as if law-enforcement services are the ones who run the country and control the government and senior officials.”
For the King of Morocco, his people “realize that what these people say is not credible.”
The king is proud of his law enforcement, and he has no qualms saying it “loud and clear, without any inferiority complex: if certain nihilists do not want to admit this, or refuse to tell the truth, it is their problem – and theirs alone.”
