Morocco chose a monarchy that ensures coexistence and dialogue:Minister

FEZ -MWN

In a meeting on “participatory democracy and civil society” organized by some NGOs on Tuesday and hosted at the Hay Mohammadi county library in Casablanca, Mr. El Habib Choubani, the Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament and Civil Society talked about global citizenship, explaining that it ensures the individual’s interaction with his/her surroundings on the basis of the broader concept of humanity.

In his influential statement, the minister evoked the crucial role of civil society as a historical and developmental necessity since it is the source of “civil power, multiple capabilities, expertise and skills in an era characterized by a monstrous conflict over power.”

The minister added that “civil society represents hope to bring about balance in society; it also represents the conscience of the Umma (nation) because it depends on voluntary work. It also is a partner in decision-making because complementarity between participatory democracy and representative democracy is very necessary.” Choubani continued that "it is imperative that civil society operates freely and independently without any political ties or restrictions whatsoever.”

Mr. Choubani didn’t forget to highlight the new roles of civil society enshrined in the constitution of 2011 in terms of legislation requests, public policy making, petitioning, the contribution to the agendas of the regional councils and the involvement in advisory boards and bodies. He added that Morocco “chose the monarchy which ensures coexistence and dialogue; the fact which made Morocco cherishes stability and coexistence throughout history. And despite the confusion that some are trying to create, Moroccans are unanimous on the slogan of the kingdom: God, the nation, the king.”

In the conclusion of his talk, Mr. Choubani stressed the need for the rehabilitation of civil society, reminding the audience of the efforts the government invested in this regard. He also called on the audience to interact with the course of the national dialogue and invited them to engage in it. Finally, he noted the importance of civil financial governance and contracting and partnerships, promising to promote civil competitiveness and the creation of a national day for civil society as well as the national gallery for civil creativity.