Algeria's news agency has strongly criticized Morocco's upcoming parliamentary session, set to take place on Monday, describing it as an attempt by the royal palace to utilize the legislative institution to mitigate the political and media repercussions of recent developments in the UN Security Council regarding Western Sahara. The agency views this move as an effort to divert attention from Morocco's diplomatic setbacks.
The Algerian news agency, in a commentary titled "A Parliamentary Farce," argued that the Moroccan parliament's session cannot be separated from the context of recent developments in the Security Council. It believes that Morocco is trying to shift the battle from the international arena to domestic institutions, aiming to show that the decision on Western Sahara involves institutional discussion and participation.
The agency questions the role of Morocco's legislative institution, suggesting that the upcoming session highlights a paradox between the parliament's involvement in a strategic issue and the reality of Morocco's political system, where the king holds concentrated powers. It wonders about the actual value of a session by an institution that, according to the commentary, lacks decision-making autonomy in major issues.
The Algerian agency draws a comparison between Morocco's parliamentary session and a recent session of the Algerian parliament, which approved the deployment of military units to Niger to protect Algeria's national interests. It sees the Algerian move as a model that Morocco is trying to replicate, by summoning parliament to add an institutional layer to its political actions related to Western Sahara.
The commentary attributes the orchestration of this move to Royal Counselor André Azoulay, suggesting that the session aims to create a political scene that suggests democratic and institutional practices, while strategic decisions remain under the control of the monarchy. The agency believes Morocco is trying to divert public attention from the repercussions of international developments.
Algeria's news agency also questions the legal or constitutional basis for consulting Morocco's parliament on this issue, arguing that the session does not reflect the parliament's actual authority in decision-making. Instead, it sees the session as an attempt to project an image of parliamentary involvement in a file managed by the royal palace.
The criticism comes after developments in the UN Security Council regarding a US draft resolution on Western Sahara and the tensions surrounding the formulation of a political settlement, with the Polisario Front insisting on the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and rejecting any imposition of a solution that bypasses international legitimacy.
Key points
- Morocco's parliamentary session on Western Sahara aims to mitigate diplomatic setbacks
- Algeria views Morocco's move as an attempt to divert public attention
- The session's legitimacy and the parliament's role in decision-making are questioned
