Parliament TV channel needs $2.7 million, Speaker

The launch of a parliament TV channel will necessitate 25 million Dirhams (USD 2.7 million), but funds are lacking to launch it, said Speaker of the House of Representatives (Parliament Lower Chamber), Abdelouahed Radi.

In an interview published Wednesday by the daily in Arabic "Attajdid," Radi said efforts are being made to create the channel, in collaboration with the communication department, adding that "the chamber has an integrated project as concerns technical and management aspects, but funds are lacking to launch it."

Answering a question on the lack of interest parliament channels suffer, Radi said Morocco's will not be dedicated to debates only, but also to pedagogic and cultural programs.

Evoking the chamber's action, Radi said the chamber made important diplomatic achievements, especially as concerns Morocco's territorial integrity, as we succeeded, through parliament, in convincing several countries to withdraw their recognition of the Polisario separatists' puppet republic. "We have paved the way for government contacts."

The Polisario are claiming secession of Morocco's southern provinces, known as the Sahara. This former Spanish colony was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords.

The speaker admitted that deputies' absence is a phenomenon that worries all Moroccans, "starting from the speaker and parliamentary groups."

Deputies have to attend debates. This is why they have been elected, he said, recalling that in some parliaments, attendance is controlled by the groups.