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Former minister calls for Morocco to deal with protests 'democratically'

March 21, 2018 at 5:54 am

Hundreds of people attend a demonstration in support of ongoing anti-government protests taking place in the northern Rif region on 2 June 2017 in Al-Hoceima, Morocco [Jalal Morchidi/Anadolu Agency]

The former Moroccan Minister of Construction and Urban Policy, Mohamed Nabil BenabdAllah called on  Tuesday to deal democratically with protests that erupt in the kingdom.

BenabdAllah, the Secretary-general of the Party of Progress and  Socialism, a member of the Moroccan government told a press conference that the biggest threat facing the country is losing the ability “to educate the people, to listen to their demands and to work to meet them”.

“The protests show the need for a healthy democratic politics and strong independent parties to meet these challenges” he said.

BenabdAllah served as Minister of Construction and Urban Policy since 2012 until he was dismissed by King Mohammed VI in October 2017 with three other ministers for failing to implement a development program for the northern province of Al- Hoceima.

The town of Jarada witnessed sporadic protests in December last year after two brothers were killed in a coal mine. The protests were renewed in February after a third man died in another mine.

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