Hicham El Mahjari, a member of the political bureau of the Authenticity and Modernity Party and a parliamentarian, has directly blamed the previous governments of Abdelilah Benkirane and Saadeddine Othmani for the rise of social protests in the Ait Boukmaz region. He stated that the public policies during that period failed to address regional disparities and meet the basic needs of the population.
In his remarks during a session on social support as part of the party’s summer university proceedings, El Mahjari criticized the previous governments for not activating the Social Rehabilitation Fund stipulated in Article 142 of the Constitution. He noted that this fund, established by the 2016 Finance Law, did not receive the necessary financial resources and remained inactive for nearly a decade.
He explained that the Constitutional Court was compelled to intervene after a challenge was raised, resulting in the injection of ten million dirhams into the fund. However, it remained ineffective despite the law specifying a twelve-year operational period ending in 2027.
In a related context, El Mahjari criticized the management of the program aimed at reducing regional inequalities, which was launched under royal instructions. He claimed that the political conflict within the governments of Benkirane and Othmani led to the program being transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture instead of being entrusted to local authorities, as outlined in the organic law No. 113.14 concerning local governments. He argued that this shift hindered efforts to target vulnerable groups in rural areas and marginalized regions.
El Mahjari pointed to the protests in Ait Boukmaz, suggesting that the approaching upcoming elections prompted some political parties to intervene in these demonstrations, even though their causes are linked to the failures of successive governments in addressing poverty and marginalization.
He forcefully responded to criticisms from former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane towards the current government, which he described as “thieving.” El Mahjari contended that the current government is merely executing the provisions of the framework law on social protection approved by Othmani’s government in 2020. He added that the current government went further by issuing an exceptional decree to support families before extending social coverage.
In this regard, El Mahjari revealed that the decree for the orphan support program, issued during Benkirane’s tenure, explicitly prohibited beneficiaries from combining this support with any other state or local budget assistance, including the “Tayssir” schooling support program, which supposedly deprived orphans of an additional 90 dirhams.
He noted a contradiction in the management of political privileges, pointing out that the previous government did not impose similar restrictions on local leaders who combined mayoral compensation with parliamentary salaries, adding that the decision was signed by the very Prime Minister who accuses his successor of theft.
El Mahjari called for depoliticizing health coverage and social protection issues, emphasizing that this is a strategic path for the Moroccan state that should not become a subject of political competition. He asserted that current social statistics remain alarming, with half of Moroccan households unable to afford 150 dirhams for membership in “Amo Solidarité,” while five million families requested direct social support.
He stressed that political discussions should focus on reducing the number of households benefiting from support by improving their living conditions, rather than merely discussing growth indicators and budget deficits that do not reflect the extent of social vulnerability in Morocco.
