Moroccan Amazigh Party not legitimate, government says

03/12/2007

The Moroccan Interior Ministry claims the ethnocentric Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party is illegal. The party counters that the move compelling it to go to court this month is part of an Arabisation policy to destroy the Amazigh identity.

By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 03/12/07

[Naoufel Cherkaoui] Secretary-General Ahmed Dgherni (centre) called for "real plurality, so that all voices in the country may find an expression".

A Moroccan Amazigh political party faces a court hearing December 17th to decide its legitimacy. Citing Moroccan law which voids any political party based on ethnic or linguistic grounds, the Interior Ministry issued a communiqué November 25th stating that the Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party (PDA) is illegal.

Arguing that Amazigh culture is considered an essential component of Moroccan identity and is owned by all Moroccans, the ministry said that it cannot be politicised in any way. The kingdom's judicial authority subsequently filed an initiatory pleading before the Administrative Court in Rabat for the purpose of voiding of the PDA.

PDA Secretary-General Ahmed Dgherni told Magharebia the Party Law helps preserve only Arab ethnicity.

Calling for a defence of "real plurality, so that all voices in the country may find an expression", Dgherni said, "We aren't working on the framework of Amazigh culture only, but on all components of Moroccan identity."

He added, "We call for the preservation of all our grandfathers' heritage and the features of patriotism, as well as the removal of the consequences of the policy of Arabisation, which destroyed our Amazigh culture." According to Dgherni, there is a political movement to remove Amazigh identity.

Communications Minister and government spokesman Khalid Naciri countered that in every detail, the party is in violation of the law. "Parties founded on religious or ethnic bases are legally prohibited because they constitute a starting point for sedition," Naciri said.

"Morocco, as a civilised, organised society in the process of building its democracy, gives room for all party and political expression without exception, except for the things that touch upon the integrity of its national entity. The parliament has unanimously voted for a law in this regard. Consequently, this party can't exist because it is in violation of the law."

Naciri pointed out that even with 33 parties in Morocco, "there has been no debate at all over their right to exist."

One Moroccan non-governmental organisation, however, sees the call to dissolve the party as an excessive use of power and a stark violation of international human rights treaties and conventions ratified by Morocco. The Amazigh League of Human Rights League says dissolving the party would create an imbalance in Moroccan social structure, weaken the opportunities of political and cultural plurality and disrupt Amazigh Moroccans' legitimate right to political parties and organisations of their choice.

The legitimacy of the government’s action is another point of contention as the hearing date nears. "The legal action was filed beyond the legally prescribed period for the challenge," Dgherni said.

Under the Party Law, the period for challenging the legitimacy of parties is two months. According to Dgherni, the Moroccan Amazigh Democratic Party was established on July 31st, 2005 and "made the necessary adaptation to the new law on February 2nd, 2007".