Morocco renews backing to a referendum with all Sahrawis participating

Morocco on Tuesday renewed attachment to holding a self-determination referendum in its southern provinces with the participation of all Sahrawis without exception.

The stand was reaffirmed by speaker of the house of representatives (lower chamber of parliament), Abdelouahed Radi.

No developments were recorded in the Sahara issue since Morocco announced its readiness to start dialogue with the other party (polisario), said Radi, whose statements were reported by the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily.

The other party refuses this dialogue, the speaker stressed.

Radi ruled out any link between the Sahara conflict and the tension between Morocco and Algeria and the freezing of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), which marked its 12th anniversary on February 17.

The delay in improving relations between Rabat and Algiers is rather due to the method Algeria wants to follow to reach this objective, he said. While Morocco wants problems to be settled at the summit level, Algeria wants to go through experts and ministers before submitting the pending issues to the summit, the speaker explained.