Interview conducted by: Khadija Rahali
Despite his administrative, political and partisan preoccupations, Mr. Ahmed Khchichn devoted a part of his time to conduct an exclusive interview for the benefit of PAM’s newspaper, upon which he addressed a set of issues related to our territorial integrity, terms and conditions for securing Guerguerat crossing, the contribution of Marrakesh-Safi region in limiting the repercussions of the Coronavirus crisis, advanced regionalization, and the foundations for PAM’s electoral approach in relation to citizens.
The interview went as follows:
Interviewer:
Mr. President, in the beginning, how did you interact with the recent developments regarding our national cause, whether in terms of re-securing transportation and mobility through Guerguerat crossing, or the US recent recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over all of its southern provinces?
Ahmed Khchich:
First of all, it must be pointed out that the reckless action taken by separatists in Guerguerat region came to exert pressure on the international community and the United Nations, provided that these events coincided with the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly, given that the Security Council has repeatedly emphasized that the said region is a buffer area; therefore, any military presence in that area is strictly prohibited, and shall be quickly evacuated, including the oasis town known as Bir Lehlou, that the Polisario Front claims to be a free and liberated zone. On the other hand, Morocco has always considered this region a part of its national territories, that the country willingly entrusted to the United Nations in order to facilitate its operations in terms of monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. However, Morocco never stopped recalling that in the event of the United Nations’ inability to deal with “Polisario’s recklessness”, our kingdom shall opt for a military intervention.
And since the “Polisario” militia persisted in violating all international conventions in this regard, Morocco had no other option but secure this strategic border crossing through the most recent military intervention, which received broad international support, followed by the historic recognition of Morocco’s full sovereignty over its southern provinces, by the United States.
From this perspective, we shall all recognize the Royal Armed Forces’ professionalism and efficiency in dealing with the situation, by combing the area and expelling the mercenaries who were trying to create an illusory spark to destabilize the region, especially since the Moroccan autonomous proposal over southern provinces was warmly received by the international community, as a realistic and rational solution to end this fabricated conflict.
I believe that the US recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over all of its southern provinces comes as a result of the marketing of such a proposal; Besides, I am quite sure that this recognition will be followed by many others.
Interviewer:
Can you tell us more about your contributions as a council in mitigating the effects resulting from the outbreak of the Corona pandemic over the past few months? And to what extent are you involved in the national campaign against this virus?
Ahmed Khchichn:
Within the framework of Marrakesh-Safi region’s efforts to support those in need during these difficult times, the Council allocated about 8 million dirhams for food aid, which covered over 20 thousand families from different parts of the region, in addition to coordinating with Jassim and Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation in Qatar, as to allocate a similar amount, for the same purpose.
Besides, in order to support the medical staff within the region, the council has also provided many hospitals with medical kits and equipment to face the spread of the epidemic.
Medical equipment and supplies for which the Council allocated an amount of seven million dirhams included medical beds, ventilators, equipment for resuscitation rooms, and blood pressure gauges, as well as primary medical supplies, to help relieve the burden on Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakech, besides other major regional hospitals.
Since March, Marrakech-Safi regional council has been committed to provide sterilization, prevention and disinfectant supplies, for the benefit of the Regional Directorate of Health, as well as the Regional Civil Protection Command, at an estimated amount of 400 thousand dirhams.
In addition, 20 Covid-19 ambulances had been acquired for the benefit of the Regional Civil Protection Command, for an estimated amount of 13 million dirhams, to be used in all communes and districts within the region.
The region’s council has also been involved in the national mobilization against the epidemic, along with the rest of Morocco’s regions, for they have jointly deposited one and a half billion dirhams in the Covid-19 fund, for Marrakech region alone has contributed with more than 50 million dirhams, deposited in fourths.
Interviewer:
In political terms, you seem to be running Marrakesh regional council along with other political actors; yet, how do you manage to secure a minimum level of consensus in making decisions? Can you also name the projects and programs upon which you achieve great amounts of consensus, as well as the ones that fail to achieve any?
Ahmed Khchichn:
In politics, political jostling can be very feasible at the legislative level, that is, through the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors; however, in terms of the executive and territorial levels, I believe that political conflicts become mere unproductive auctions, given that the core of political or territorial action are citizens themselves. From this standpoint, Marrakesh-Safi regional council tended to ensure consensus regarding most developmental options in the region, reflecting consensus on most developmental projects, foremost of which is the regional developmental program.
Interviewer:
Does this mean that Marrakesh regional council succeeded in implementing advanced regionalization?
Ahmed Khchichn:
Marrakesh regional council’s successful management of the path to downgrading advanced regionalization cannot be attributed to a political group without another within the council, for all components worked together while adopting a consensual and participatory logic; therefore, the council’s success at this stage is a success for all its political components, especially since the implementation of the latter during this mandatory period is still witnessing the issuance of many organizational and clarifying texts and decrees aimed at promoting expanded regionalism. In this regard, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all political partners within the council for the good management of this stage, and I sincerely hope that the council was up to people’s expectations within the region, and that we have answered some of the major developmental questions that citizens were seeking.
Interviewer:
Mr. President, in light of the upcoming electoral campaign, do you believe that the Authenticity and Modernity Party has sufficiently kept its promises to the good citizens of Marrakesh region? And also, is the party able to preserve its status in the region as one of its major electoral and political fortresses?
Ahmed Khchichn:
Indeed, Marrakech-Safi region formed the basis for the creation of the Authenticity and Modernity Party; A party that was built on the basic idea of evoking the accumulations of Morocco’s ancient past in order to build its future, as promoted in our party’s nominal reference, by ensuring compatibility between authenticity and modernity. Moreover, I believe that the party was acting accordingly when approaching citizens, for, as the name of the party stipulates, we tended to invest in the gains of the past, to build the present and look up to the future, as well as laying the foundations for a state that grants citizens a coral role within its developmental process; the party, however, will maintain its ideology, whether inside or outside our region.