Meknes mayor dismissal sparks controversy

2009-02-04

The Moroccan interior ministry ousted the mayor of Meknes as the latest in a series of dismissals over the last year. PJD officials question the ministry's motive, acting just ahead of the upcoming June 12th communal elections.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 04/02/09

[Sarah Touahri] Moroccan Wali-Inspector General Mohamed Fassi Fihri (centre) said that recent dismissals of public officials are intended to boost the transparency of local government.

The interior ministry removed 18 council chairmen of different political parties from office in 2008, as well as dozens of locally elected officials and territorial government representatives. But the latest dismissal, the sacking of the mayor of Meknes, has provoked fierce debate since its announcement on Friday (January 30th).

The mayor's Justice and Development Party (PJD) is unhappy with the severity of the move and its timing, just a few months ahead of the June 12th communal elections.

According to Wali-Inspector General of territorial government at the interior ministry Mohamed Fassi Fihri, the aim is to clean up management at the local level, rendering local authorities more efficient and more transparent.

At a press briefing on Monday (February 2nd), Fassi Fihri explained that the general inspectorate routinely investigates indications of failings, particularly those arising from local authority and regional auditing courts, or upon receiving complaints from MPs, local councillors, members of the public, non-governmental bodies, or any other sources.

PJD Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane held a press conference on Saturday (January 31st) to denounce the dismissal of Meknes Mayor Aboubakr Belkoura.

"I'm not saying Belkoura is incapable of making mistakes. But they should have gone through the courts to get a ruling. Dismissing him in this way has caused us to have doubts about the motivation behind such a step," Benkirane said, suggesting the move was intended to harm the PJD in the run-up to the elections.

The interior ministry rejected the PJD's accusations.

"Half of the sanctions have been against parties from the majority administration," said Fassi Fihri. "We're astonished at the reaction from one single party. Their interpretation of the action is entirely unfounded."

Fassi Fihri said that there had been reports of a number of misdemeanours by the Meknes mayor. Such transgressions included a breach of the regulations on public calls for tender, the mayor’s refusal to take steps against companies that did not adhere to public works standards, and the illegal issue of eight building and 18 residency permits.

The mayor’s wife was also reportedly granted exceptional permission to build a block of 200 flats in an area of single-family homes. Also on record is her illegal exemption from taxes on the construction project, issued under the pretext that she was building affordable housing. The exemption was worth 1,016,980.55 dirhams. The marketing of the flats making up the development is in the name of a company where 99% of the shares belong to the chairman.

Alae S., a young white-collar worker in Meknes, told Magharebia that "a number of residents had complained to officials", as the mayor's actions were common knowledge among residents.

"For some people, the recent dismissals might be an encouragement to go out and vote in the confidence that there are controlling bodies, but for others the opposite might happen and they will continue to lose confidence in political life," said political science lecturer Ahmed Azougani. "Turning to the courts would have been a good solution to silence all the accusations."

The general inspectorate engaged in 188 missions in 2008, including 65 missions to inspect the management of local authorities in both urban and rural areas, 70 missions to audit national human development initiative projects, and 59 missions to examine issues of local authorities and territorial bodies.

The inspectorate undertook 43 actions as a result, including the dismissal of 18 council chairmen, most notably the chairmen of the Aïn Sebaa and Aïn Chock districts, and of local councils in Khouribga, Oulmès, Moulay Abdellah, Meknes, Lahraouiyine and Beni Khaled. Twenty vice-chairmen of local councils and local councillors were also removed from office, and five local council chairmen and their assistants suspended.