Rabat – El Othmani has generated rounds of criticism for saying former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin told him that the “situation in Morocco is better than in France.”
Head of Government El Othmani, who is also secretary-general of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), made the controversial remarks during the National Committee of the Party on Saturday.
When talking about the social issues in Morocco, the head of government said that Villepin had visited him and told him, “The situation in Morocco is better than the situation in France.”
The PJD head’s speech was broadcast on the party’s official Facebook page and received harsh criticism throughout the 35-minute live video.
The comment comes amid public outrage over the death of Hayat, a migrant who was shot by the Moroccan Royal Navy in September.
However, El Othmani said that Moroccans should express their anger towards immigration networks instead, saying they pose a threat to the stability of the country.
The head of government believes that the networks have a motive behind their offers to take migrants for free to Spain, the El Dorado.
The official recognizes that “a number of things are not going well, but a number of reforming workshops are in the process of completion, some of which are beginning to show results.”
Commenting on the recent tragic incident when the navy shot at a boat with Moroccan migrants in the Mediterranean, El Othmani said that he regretted the incident.
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While some consider undocumented migration a threat to people’s lives, El Othmani said that “the phenomenon of immigration is universal and should not be exaggerated.”
“Moroccan authorities have managed to thwart the migration of more than 20,000 people in the past few months,” he said.
Morocco is also experiencing difficulties in the education and health sectors.
In a 2016-2017 annual report, Morocco’s Court of Auditors detected numerous problems related to medical services.
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According to the report, Decree 2.06.656 on hospital organization “defined for each hospital level specialties and medical services to make available to the public.” However, some hospitals do not offer all the mandatory services to patients.
In another report, the court identified serious deficiencies in Morocco’s education system. The report found that Moroccan schools do not enjoy basic standards, including drinking water and electricity.
The court also noted that some schools have multiple grade levels in one class. “The government’s priorities are clear: first education, second health, third employment and social protection,” he said.
El Othmani also said that unemployment could be the result of the many university specializations that are not suited to the job market.
Concluding his statement, El Othmani quoted UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He said that even the UN chief acknowledged in his UN General Assembly speech that every country has its political issues.
“He started his speech saying that the world is troubled; there is no longer confidence in political institutions; there is no longer confidence in states … this is how he started. It is an issue of confidence,” El Othmani said.
Every country experiences the issues, El Othmani said, because it is a “global infection.”
Despite the challenges, El Othmani called on entrepreneurs, political actors, media professionals, and civil society to stick to “objectivity.”
He added that the actors should “cling to hope, when featuring the economic and social conditions in Morocco.”
