Morocco's relations with UN mission are clear and transparent, says interior minister
Morocco's relations with the UN mission supervising the holding of a referendum in the Sahara (MINURSO) are based on clarity and transparency, Moroccan Minister of the Interior Driss Basri told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Following the weekly Cabinet meeting, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, minister in charge of relations with the parliament, said Basri informed the government on preparations for the referendum in the territory and underlined that the kingdom is respecting all its international agreements and commitments.
He further renewed Morocco's attachment to the referendum and insisted that Moroccans are mobilized to face any contingency, in respect of international law.
Bouzoubaa, acting spokesman of the government, renewed before reporters Morocco's legitimate claims that all persons from the territory should be allowed to vote in the UN-projected referendum, a decisive operation for their future and that of their families. He insisted that this is a legitimate and internatinally-recognized request on which Morocco will not make any concession.
Asked on a visit to the region by UN special envoy, James Baker, the minister said Morocco is waiting for this visit and it is not up to it to draw the schedule of the UN envoy's trips.
In another development, Moroccan Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi said Morocco accepted the referendum in order to convince the international community of the fairness and legitimacy of its position. The prime minister, who was interviewed by Egyptian daily al-Ahram, said Moroccans are convinced that the Sahara is Moroccan territory and that decolonization took place in respect of international law.
He said that to date the United Nations has been unable to hold the referendum, initially set for the end of this year, in view of the Polisario's refusal to include in the voters rolls a large number of persons from the territory. He added that Morocco is leaving it to the world body to organize the referendum and is only requesting that all eligible persons be registered on the voting lists.
