Political parties promise to tackle terrorism

29/08/2007

Moroccan political parties are united in their anti-terror rhetoric, but few of them have created any concrete plans to tackle the phenomenon.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/08/2007

[Sarah Touahri] USFP Secretary-General Mohamed El Yazghi (right) and Finance and Trade Minister Fathallah Oualalou at the launch of the party’s programme.

Morocco's political parties have put forward measures in their election programmes to tackle terrorism and foster a culture of peace. Although most of the parties' offer little more than sweeping statements, several have identified security and educational reforms as key starting points.

Mohamed El Yazghi, Secretary-General of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces said his party's programme focuses on making economic, social, cultural and political progress and rejecting a Morocco founded on backwardness, hatred and fundamentalism. "The USFP's main proposals are aimed at creating a dynamic Morocco showing real solidarity with victims of terrorism and support for security officers who defend our society and protect lives," he said.

El Yazghi advocates an expansion and shake-up of the law enforcement agencies, which his party believes should be given the necessary resources to restore peace and order. According to the USFP, authorities should be given greater powers to take precautionary measures to reinforce stability in the region and tackle the threat posed by small terrorist groups.

The Istiqlal Party states in its programme that building the Morocco of the future will require foundations of greater security and stability, which must be achieved by tackling terrorism and destructive ideologies. "Morocco can only make progress if the people hold onto their identity and national values and protect themselves against everything which threatens their humanism and stability, above all their devotion to the noble values of Islam founded on Shura, tolerance, solidarity, helping one another, respect for human rights and the rejection of sectarianism, extremism and dogmatism," says the party's political office.

The Party of Justice and Development stressed the need for a plan to encourage religious moderation, tackle social deprivation, teach people about true citizenship and engage in dialogue with everyone who might be able to influence terrorist elements. "Only this dialogue can clear the way for progress," says Mustapha Ramid, one of the party's members of parliament.

Unified Socialist Party (PSU) Secretary-General Mohamed Moujahid said the state is already fulfilling its security obligations, but that it should look to other means of tackling terrorism. His party's programme lays emphasis on boosting democracy, building a strong economy and reforming education. "The causes of terrorism include poverty and the content of teaching in schools, which for a long time has failed to encourage forward-looking views or diversity," he says.

Fatima Mustaghfir of the People’s Movement (MP) shares this view. She says that the phenomenon is due to social inequalities and also education, which must be reformed to guarantee jobs for all.

The country's political parties are determined to play a major role in the struggle against terrorism. During the pre-campaign period, on August 6th, Istiqlal, the USFP, the People’s Movement, the National Rally of Independents and the Party of Progress and Socialism issued a joint statement indicating that they plan to set up a committee to tackle terrorism, which they say will "develop a single strategy to protect national and democratic progress from terrorism in all its forms, within the framework of the prerogatives enshrined in law and the Constitution."