Morocco seeks to institute a democracy of greater welfare, king
Morocco, Politics, 9/4/2001

Morocco's King Mohammed VI renewed the pledge to consolidate democracy and to institute a democracy of greater welfare, meant to restore social balance, on the basis of growth, realism, and equity.

In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, published this Tuesday, king Mohammed VI said that he based his choices on the pedestal of gains and continuity and that his approach is at the same time more pragmatic and more thoughtful.

"My pace is the pace of Morocco. It is not necessarily the pace that some observers, acting as prosecutors, want to impose on us, with arrogance and ignorance.," the sovereign said, adding that what is important to him is how the majority of Moroccans are looking at his action.

"This look converges with mine to note that the task is at the same time huge and elating. We want to refine a most complete democratic space. We also want this democracy to be the democracy of greater welfare. The democracy of a country having made the choice of the restoration of the social balance, based on growth, but also on realism and equity. This vision, the vision of reason, is well understood by Moroccans. They know where Morocco is heading," the sovereign said.

He added that results scored are numerous and substantial, whether in matters of human rights or in matters of social integration. The results were grasped not only by Moroccans but also by the international community, and especially the decision-makers of business milieus. ."For the first in its history, Morocco will pass the mark of $ 3 billion in foreign direct investments," King Mohammed VI said, recalling that some ten years ago, these investments did not exceed $ 50 million per year.

He insisted further that the battle must be waged on two fronts, the economic and the social front and that of struggle against poverty and illiteracy is a top priority. He laid a special emphasis on the rural world, where modernity must be introduced to find solutions to the problems on the spot, and where efforts to struggle against illiteracy must be focused.

After he mentioned as an instance of the efforts being made to promote the rural world the expansion of water and electricity supply, saying that "between 1990 and 2000, the number of villages having access to electricity and water jumped respectively from 15% to 45% and from 14% to 42%," the sovereign conceded that the task is arduous and that the state cannot shoulder all these responsibilities alone. Non-governmental organizations must participate in the effort, he argued, mentioning part of these ngos the Mohammed V foundation, which he chairs and which is doing great work in the fields of education and struggle against illiteracy.

Meantime, Morocco's King Mohammed VI said that the Moroccan monarchy is constitutional and that in Morocco, the king "reigns and works with the government in a clear-cut constitutional framework."

King Mohammed VI said in the interview that Moroccan monarchy is constitutional as defined by a fundamental text dating back to 1962 and that Moroccans want a strong, democratic and executive monarchy. He said that "it is impossible to compare what is not comparable," and that Moroccan monarchy has nothing to do with the Spanish monarchy.

"I reign and work with my government in a clear-cut constitutional framework, that defines the responsibilities of every one," he said, adding that he prefers team work, that he has advisors who give their viewpoints frankly and that he does not base his decisions on a sole, unique viewpoint, on the opinion of one sole person.

As to the distribution of tasks between the King and the Prime Minister, King Mohammed VI said "there is no improvisation. Mr. Youssoufi fulfils his work, I fulfil mine. No one encroaches on the attributions of the other. We share the tasks, concerning internal policy and concerning diplomacy as well. As an instance, Mr. Youssoufi helped us a great deal in making a number of countries change their stand on the Sahara. One day I am the strategist, another day he is the strategist. One day I am the tactician, another day he is the tactician. And there is not Mr Youssoufi only. There is a whole cabinet, ministers, secretaries of state. and here too we form a team, a very cemented team."

He stated further that the weight of responsibility is very heavy and that what is most difficult is to safeguard the trust your people place in you. "My priority is to preserve my people's trust. I want to thank the Moroccans for being indulgent, for I know that their expectations are great. I am at the disposal of all Moroccans. It had been said that I was the King of the poor. Alright. But first of all I am the king of all, the king of the youth, the king of the elderly and even the king of the rich. I do not tell my people that I will make no mistake, but I promise to do my best."

Asked whether the army was the rampart of monarchy, King Mohammed said so many theories, surprising or simplistic, have been put forward on the role of the army in Morocco but all the scenarios were nonsensical. The army plays an important part in Morocco but has no political role. Its power derives from the royal power and the king does not need the army to do politics.

Previous Stories:
  Durban conference: Morocco pleads for protection of migrant workers' rights   (9/3/2001)
  King Mohammed pays official visit to Mauritania next week   (9/3/2001)
  Morocco, Spain share ties of 'complicity', Spanish fm   (9/1/2001)

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