Ouagadougou,His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, presided, Friday afternoon in Rabat, at the opening of the first session of the third legislative year of the 11th Legislature.
On his arrival at the seat of Parliament, His Majesty the King saluted the national colors to the sound of the national anthem, before reviewing a detachment of the Royal Guard who paid the honors.
The Sovereign was then greeted by Mr. Rachid Talbi Alami, President of the House of Representatives, Mr. Enaam Mayara, President of the House of Advisors, Mr. Mohammed Yacoubi, Wali of the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, governor of the prefecture of Rabat, as well as by the secretaries general of the two Chambers of Parliament.
Before reaching the official platform, His Majesty the King made a point of greeting with His hands, from the top of the balcony of Parliament, the enthusiastic crowd of citizens who came to express their marks of fidelity a
nd loyalty to the August person of the Sovereign and their unwavering attachment to the Glorious Alawite Throne.
After reading verses from the Holy Quran, His Majesty the King delivered a speech to the members of the two Houses of Parliament, in the presence of the President of the World Bank (WB), Mr. Ajay Banga, and the Managing Director of the Monetary Fund International (IMF), Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, who are taking part in the BM-IMF Annual Meetings, organized from October 9 to 15 in Marrakech.
In His Speech, the Sovereign affirmed that ‘we are driven by the firm desire to act to rebuild’, following the terrible earthquake which ‘shocked our country, leaving thousands of martyrs and many injured for whose recovery we raise fervent prayers.’
In this sense, the Sovereign insisted ‘on the need to continue to provide aid and assistance to affected families, to promptly undertake the upgrading and reconstruction of affected areas, and to provide them with basic services’.
‘Notwithstanding the scale of th
e disaster, grievance and pain have given way to comfort and pride in seeing the sincerity and spontaneity with which all Moroccans here and elsewhere as well as civil society actors have demonstrated in a thousand ways the spirit of mutual aid and solidarity which animates them towards their stricken compatriots,’ added HM the King.
The Sovereign also stressed that this drama provides a valuable lesson in the sense that the authentic values of the Moroccan soul have prevailed, “those which have always allowed our country to overcome crises and adversities and which constantly reinforce our determination to continue our journey with confidence and optimism.’
‘This beautiful spirit and this noble ideal inhabit us all because they represent, for Us, the ferment of unity and cohesion of Moroccan society,’ said His Majesty the King.
Furthermore, the Sovereign stressed that he has always ‘kept protecting the family, by launching major projects and major reforms in his favor’, citing in particular the project of
generalization of social protection ‘which constitutes, for Us, an essential pillar of our societal and development model.’
His Majesty the King indicated, in this context, that at the end of the year the direct social assistance program will be operationalized which will make it possible to raise the standard of living of targeted families, to combat poverty and precariousness and, ultimately, improve social and human development indicators.
The Sovereign stressed that he had ‘directed the government so that this program is implemented according to a global vision and in accordance with the provisions of the framework law relating to social protection, approved by Parliament’.
Its implementation, insisted His Majesty the King, ‘must be a model of success and must, therefore, be backed by the targeting system of the Unified Social Register (RSU) and take full advantage of the effectiveness of new technologies’.
The Sovereign also insisted on “strict respect for the principles of solidarity, transparency a
nd fairness in the allocation of aid, particularly for the benefit of those who deserve it”, calling on the government to give priority the rationalization of existing social assistance programs and the guarantee of their effectiveness as well as the sustainability of financing resources.
‘We also insist that good governance of this project, addressed in all its dimensions, be ensured. For this, it is necessary to put in place an ad-hoc monitoring and evaluation mechanism, so that the best conditions for development and continuous adjustment are guaranteed,’ added His Majesty the King.
On this occasion, HM King Mohammed VI, may God help him, received the President of the World Bank, Mr. Ajay Banga, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Ms. Kristalina Georgieva.
Subsequently, His Majesty the King, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, received Mr. Rachid Talbi Alami, who presented to the Sovereign the results of the work of the House of Repres
entatives under the 2022-2023 legislative year, as well as other House publications.
His Majesty the King, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, also received Mr. Enaam Mayara, who presented to the Sovereign several publications relating to the results of the work of the House of Councilors under the title of the 2022-2023 legislative year.
Accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, the Sovereign subsequently received Mr. Mustapha Baitas, Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament, government spokesperson, who presented to His Majesty the King takes stock of the government’s action in its relations with Parliament during the second legislative year of the 11th Legislature.
His Majesty the King then chaired a reception organized in honor of the members of the Houses of Representatives and Councilors on the occasion of the opening of the first session of the third legislative year of the 11th Legislature.
Source: Burk
ina Information Agency