Moroccan political parties mull charter to unify nation ranks

A group of political parties held on Thursday a meeting, at the initiative of the Party for Reform and Development (PRD) to consider a charter to "unify ranks" around the nation's constant values.

The PRD secretary general, Abderrahmane El Kohen, said his party's initiative to convene the meeting was spurred by the need to reflect on last May 16 string of five terrorist attacks in Casablanca that killed 43 people and injured scores of others. He said the move also seeks to analyze effects and implications of these acts.

He told political leaders representing a wide spectrum of Morocco's political landscape "the dangerous effects of these events that targeted Morocco, its reputation and stability and sought to brake its march toward democracy and development" require from all political parties to shoulder their role in ensuring the welfare of the Moroccan people.

For El kohen, political parties need to "harmonize their stances" and "unify their ranks," putting aside minor divergences to collectively confront threats facing the homeland. A "national honor charter" was also mooted by the PRD leader.

Participants asked for some time to study the proposed charter and agreed to hold other meetings to debate items and principles contained in the charter project.

Participants included representatives from the "party for justice and development" (PJD), "national popular movement" (MNP), "party for renewal and equity" (PRE), "Environment and Development Party" (PED), "Citizenship and development initiative" (ICD), "Action party" (PA), "Shoura and Istiqlal Party" (PCI), "Party for Progress and Socialism" (PPS), "Constitutional Union" (UC), " National Democrat Party" (PND), "Democratic and Social Movement" (MDS) and "Alliance for Freedoms" (ALD).