Morocco enjoys largest press freedom in Arab world, union says

Morocco is the most advanced Arab state in matters of press freedom, the Arab Journalists Union (AJU) said in a report.

The report was devised by the Union's secretariat-general and endorsed by its permanent bureau that wound up works on Wednesday in Cairo.

The document highlights Morocco's long experience in matters of multi-party system and freedom that paved the way for the birth of a diversified press enjoying large freedoms.

The technical and technological weakness of the Moroccan dailies is compensated by "a political dynamism practiced through the freedom of speech," the Union says.

The Moroccan press enjoyed more stability in 1998 with the coming to power of the alternation government, under the leadership of socialist Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi, the union said.

The Union deems the advent of the Youssoufi government to power as a positive democratic experience in the Arab World.

The Moroccan journalists used to complain about "violations" of the freedom of the press, the Union said. The appointment of Mohamed Larbi Messari, a career journalist and AJU vice-president, as communication minister helped reduce the violations.