Moroccan representatives worried over results of UN identification in sahar
Morocco, Politics, 1/20/2000

The house of representatives voiced on Wednesday concern and astonishment over the list of voters, from three Sahrawi tribes-- to whom the polisario is denying the right to vote-- published on Monday by the United Nations.

House speaker, Abdelouahed Radi, said at the closure of the fall session the list does not conform to reality and asked the United Nations to "make justice to our brothers in the Sahara provinces" in the upcoming appeals operation.

He explained that representatives have seized all international events and meetings with foreign delegations visiting Morocco to explain Morocco's stand and insist on the fairness of the UN-projected referendum.

The referendum will determine whether the former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords would remain Moroccan territory or stand on its own as claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario.

Radi added that a fair referendum with the participation of all Sahrawis would only confirm the Sahara as Moroccan territory.

Following the publication Monday of the voter lists from the "contested" tribes, showing that out of 51,220 applicants, the identification commission only admitted 2,130 persons (4%),

Morocco expressed "astonishment and disappointment" and called all applicants to identification to check at the UN identification offices whether their name is included or not in the list released.

Applicants who were not included in the list, persons who were not convoked and persons who failed to appear before the identification commission for any reason can lodge appeals within six weeks. Persons who contest the illegibility of anyone included in the list can also lodge an appeal against the person declared illegible.

Morocco insists that all Sahrawis without any exception should be entitled to take part in the projected referendum.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco calls applicants to identification to follow up their applications   (1/19/2000)
  Youssoufi hails royal approach to Saharan affairs   (1/19/2000)
  Morocco astonished and disappointed about identification in sahara   (1/18/2000)

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