Moroccan party denounces pressures on Morocco by UN mission
Morocco-UN, Politics, 1/26/1999

Leader of a Moroccan opposition party denounced "some pressures exerted on Morocco by members of the MINURSO" (UN mission for the holding of a referendum in the Sahara) and called for the participation of all Sahrawi people in the UN projected referendum.

In a statement distributed to the media during a colloquy on Europe held in the French city of Epernay, Secretary General of Social Democratic Movement "MDS," Mahmoud Archane casted doubts on news reported by French "AFP" news agency that the UN mission only registered between 3,000 to 4,000 persons as voters out of 65,000 applicants belonging to tribes of sahara-descent to whom the polisario is denying the right to vote.

He described the news as evident manipulation, since the identification process is still ongoing. He added that, therefore, the MINURSO cannot prejudge results and set a figure of 85,000 electors out of the 147,000 ones who were up to now identified.

The three tribal groups were not covered by a census conducted in 1974 by the Spanish colonial authorities. The Polisario, an Algerian-backed guerilla movement which claims the independence of the Sahara, a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accord, wants to exclude them from the electorate, while Morocco insists that all population of saharan-descent has the right to say whether the territory should remain part of Morocco or set an independent state.

The MDS leaders "invited firmly the MINURSO identification commission to fulfill its mission and convoke all applicants." He further wondered in the statement "how can a self-determination referendum have a meaning if a part of the legitimate electors are not participating?."

He went on that Morocco is resolved not to accept any attempt to its inalienable rights, mainly those of the southern provinces populations to be identified and to take part in the referendum.

He further expressed Morocco's confidence that the projected referendum will confirm the Sahara as Moroccan territory and its refusal of all obstruction attempts of those seeking to avoid the legitimate verdict of ballots.

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