• Ouarzazate: Elite Are To Blame


     

    By: Abdelhakim EL MORABIT 

      

    Publications on social media purport to show activists’ attitudes viewing Morocco latest regionalization draft law. The high level work of the Consultative Committee on Regionalization had been first shared with the chiefs of National Political Parties but provoked new communication among "face book" activists.

    In this case, activists from Ouarzazate, about 328 km away from Rabat, pointed out the regional sphere released by the Minister of Interior and that divided the kingdom into 12 geopolitical regions, instead of the 1997 system of 16, and yet named  Errachidia city capital of the formed region of Draa-Tafilalet.

    Likewise, the Advanced Regionalization Project had been put into widely open channels of communication since 2010. Moroccan socio-political actors over the country took part in Regionalization patterns supervised by the CCR, latter nominated by the King to provide progressive and coherent regionalization charter.

    The Draa-Tafilalet region is to occupy vast territory in southeastern Morocco. It’s to gather four main cities: Ouarzazate, Errachidia,  Zagora and Tinghir ,with multiple prefectures and rural communities, then the proposal of Errachidia city to hold new region headquarters mightn’t satisfy those voices calling to revision by showing ‘anger and principal disagree’. However, the stated draft law is seen initial design which may raise potential reform, experts explained. 


    Ouarzazte city, capital of the province of Ouarzazate, had been part of the Marrakesh-Lhawz Region, headquartered in Marrakesh. In 1997 it was annexed to the actual region of Sous-Massa-Draa, its capital in Agadir. It’s to say, both Zagora and Tinghir gained self territorial independence from their mother province of Ouarzazate, also have been under Agadir political control. On the other hand, Errachidia city, capital of the province of Errachidia and major candidate for regional leadership, was joined to the central Morocco region of Meknes-Tafilalet. 



    Regarding to the main point of new decoupage concentrating on the role of transitional economic centers in regions development , most activists proclaimed the decoupage as rough as Ouarzazate has been ‘dislocated’ another time. Along with regional capital proposals, activists were counting various economic cultural and social opportunities. They ensured, at the mean time, Ouarzazate is prior to Region presidency, better than Errachidia.

    The city has shown remarkable move in tourism, cinema industry and energy powering. If any centre reserves holding the Draa-Tafilalet headquarters, it’s Ouarzazate, One was writing to support the alternative. Another one was very angry. They should take reasonable criteria and measures into consideration to name the future capital, he said. Errachidia city offers education opportunities. This contributed historically to build its powerful political intellectual elite, also was a basic factor that there have been hardworking civil society networks but still weak in economy. No way to defeat Ouarzazate, Its economy turning wheel, especially, he added. 


    Additionally, an activist, proclaimed neutral, couldn’t see any ‘sloppy’ governmental work. Unlike the others, he stated regional global defeats to encountering the latterly formed region. He also elaborated saying the urgent question mustn’t involve capitals issue. Otherwise, political elite, civil society networks, economic actors from all parts of the Region are now imposed to enforce the whole territory, advance management mechanisms and work out authority to be derived from the central state. 

     Similarly, the public initiative which comes together Ouarzazate, Zagora and Tinghir only to shout “Yes to Ouarzazate Capital of Region” was strongly criticized. The initiative  excluded Errachidia’s collaborators from its communication agenda.  Such initiative must stand for regional interests pursuing Regionalization guidelines rather than locally limited goals which give rise to its failure, the participant clarified. 

    The platform launched to call for Ouarzazate privileged position demonstrated conferences and seminars. Actors in both Zagora and Tinghir are seeking several local benefits from the preferable capital of Ouarzazat. Nevertheless, the elite in Ouarzazate as in the early two-subdivided cities are known for their weakness. They had neither political strategies influencing the law passing in the central state, nor they were able ‘to pave the road’ to Rabat for locally politics-related assets. They spoke too late commenting the new regional division. They moved the same way they do during elections campaign. One may say, it wasn’t for common interests they were working for but was for self profit in seek of long-term political existence and economic materials, others went on commenting. 


    Points of view in most cases were insisting on Ouarzazate city. It’s geographical location, history, culture diversity, and maneuvers have given it a higher status. It’s a quite dynamic and flourishing civilization but still lucking of strong political body and competently evolutionary civil society network. These remain a potent obstacle to widespread development the supreme authority is frequently arranging.

     

    « ‘Come and give me a big hug’ »
    Yahoo!

  • Comments

    No comments yet

    Suivre le flux RSS des commentaires


    Add comment

    Name / User name:

    E-mail (optional):

    Website (optional):

    Comment: