Abdeslam Ahizoune has been the president of the Moroccan Athletics Federation since 2006.
Rabat – Retired athlete and Moroccan Icon, Hicham El Guerrouj, has strongly opposed the re-election of Abdeslam Ahizoune as the president of the Royal Moroccan Athletics Federation (FRMA) for a fourth term.
Guerrouj, who was aiming to bring a new spirit to the federation, considers the re-election to be a violation. The former athlete has told the media it is unjust for Ahizoune, who has been incumbent as the federation’s president since 2006, to continue for a 4th term.
Ahizoune was re-elected at the FRMA’s Ordinary General Assembly. The election took place yesterday, July 22 in Rabat after a fierce competition with El Guerrouj.
During the campaign, both candidates used arguments against each other. While El Guerrouj urged Ahizoune to give up the post, Ahizoune said that his rival was not eligible to take the position from him.
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Chaos reigned at the general assembly, with some of the attendees criticizing El Guerrouj after his attempts to explain that Ahizoune’s fourth mandate re-election is against the law.
“He is violating the law and the basic law that was voted on by all clubs in 2013,” El Guerrouj told the media.
El Guerrouj said that legally Ahizoune cannot retain the position for a third nor a fourth mandate.
“There are violations of laws, Ahizoune is not respecting the law in a country ruled by a King who respects the law. In all of his speeches, King Mohammed VI urges [all institutions] to respect the law,” Guerrouj added.
The former athlete emphasized that the FRMA president “defied everyone and he did not respect the status adapted to the law 30.09.”
Ahizoune, who also serves as Maroc Telecom Chairman of the Management Board since his appointment in 2001, has been the president of the FRMA since 2006.
A man with power, the businessman also served as a Managing Director of the Office National des Postes et Telecommunications (ONPT) in 1995.
The former Minister of Telecommunication (1997/1999), graduated from Telecom-ParisTech in 1977.
Ahizoune is also the vice president of the General Confederation of Enterprises in Morocco (CGEM) and the administrator of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity.
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Ahizoune also serves as the president of Maroc Cultures Association, which organizes Morocco’s annual international festival Mawazine.
Moroccan media has long criticized Ahizoune’s record as the president of FRMA due to the lack of progress of athletics.
