The demand for equal rights and a fair distribution of wealth in some Islamic countries years ago seemed to have awakened many governments to the reality of modern global democracy.
Popularly referred to as the Arab Spring, the demand for the devolution of powers and wealth shook the political structure of many countries such as Egypt and Tunisia.
The message was quite clear, that the people wanted more say in the running of their country.
The Kingdom of Morocco was smart enough to have amended portions of their constitution that guaranteed more freedom for its citizens. The kingdom responded to the requests of their citizens for the devolution of more power to the people well before the rise of the arabe spring.
The wish and demands the southern Provinces in the Kingdom of Morocco of were quite clear during the Pan African Congress recently hosted by Ghana and demonstrated their pledge to their demands.
I spoke to two Moroccan female activists who live in the South Provinces of Morocco on the sidelines of the Pan African Congress held a week ago who expressed delight in the current political environment in Morocco.
One of the activists, Duihi Aicha Vice President of the Independent Committee of Human Rights, a civil society group, tells me that His Majesty King Mohammed VI has directed for the development of a platform for the analysis and formulation of proposals for a New Development Model for the Kingdom’s Southern Provinces (NDMSP).
This project, according to her, is fully in line with the Constitution adopted on July 1st, 2011.
“It is a contribution by civil society groups to the nation-wide project of implementing an integration plan, and it can potentially contribute to the success of the autonomy plan for the provinces concerned by the UN process tabled by the Kingdom in 2007,” she stated.
At the heart of this model, she says, is the respect for human rights of citizens who are legitimately and overwhelmingly demanding for unity and development for the provinces in Southern Morocco.
Along these lines, “the adoption of the autonomy plan for the southern provinces of the Kingdom of Morocco, is an important and historic step in Morocco’s development process and also a credible and serious proposal in the resolution of the Sahara conflict”, said Mme.Amina Laghzal, Member of the Center for Advocacy for Democracy in city of Laayoune.
Mme.Laghzal provided a testimony on the suffering endured by families in the southern provinces of Morocco, because of the persistence of a conflict whose repercussions have a regional dimension affecting the African continent.
that is why the autonomy plan continues Mme.Laghzaln remains sufficiently innovative and democratic solution to end this inhumane situation.
The demand for more autonomy and the model of ensuring a smooth process of democratic transition within Morocco, is a test case for other countries yearning to democratize their institutions.
Consensus building on the devolution of powers is crucial if Africa is to meet all its development and economic targets. The Moroccan example of consensus building and the protection of rights can be emulated by other countries that seeks to give more autonomy to other provinces and region within the country to avoid chaos and discontent.
By: Franklin Badu Jnr/citifmonline.com/Ghana