Akhannouch: I am working just for the homeland and the RNI's ministers proved efficiency

On the 13th episode of the road to the election of 2021, Hespress hosted Aziz Akhannouch, the president of the National Rally of Independents (RNI). The current minister of agriculture, Aziz Akhenouch, answered questions about the international and the national situation in Morocco, sharing his party’s future plans to make Morocco a better place for Moroccans.

Akhannouch started the interview with comments on Algeria’s recent decision to cut diplomatic ties with Morocco, saying “It’s an unfortunate choice” made by neighbor country, but expected, “what can you expect from a country that closed borders?” Akhannouch stated. He added that we should stop waiting and start working, instead, on developing the cities on the borders and including them in our national development plan.

The president of RNI called the Morocco-Algeria conflict “a problem of age gap and generation” that will be solved when two similar generations rule the neighbor countries.

He added that Spain’s decision to host the Polisario leader, Brahim Ghali, is “irrational and unclear”, praising Morocco’s courageous position, “lead by the King,” facing it. “There’s a red line that shouldn’t be crossed,” the RNI leader said.

Akhannouch sees the Abraham accords as a huge diplomatic win for Morocco since many foreign countries started opening embassies in the Sahara, and the U.S. is planning many projects in the southern provinces of Morocco, according to the agriculture minister.

On the Covid-19 pandemic, Akhannouch said Morocco was a leading example in managing the Covid-19 era. He praised once again the king’s initiative to launch a Coronavirus fund that helped the nation during the pandemic.

Akhannouch commented on the recent news of postponing the start of school to October saying, “Yes, they should postpone the start of school […]I think it’s a decision that will help Morocco to avoid another setback,” referring to the new variants of coronavirus that raised the cases and the death tolls nationally and internationally.

The RNI secretary general said that according to his experience, Moroccans want to get vaccinated. It’s not up to politicians to talk about the vaccine since the experts know better, he added.

“We are on the right way, people are free to get vaccinated or not but politicians shouldn’t tell people to get vaccinated or not, it’s up to the experts to do that,” Akhannouch said.

The politician commented on Abdlillah Benkiran, former head of the goverenemnet, who previously claimed that the RNI leader is a good minister but cannot be the head of government. Akhannouch said that “these claims are a confession of PJD defeat since they started thinking about me as a head of government. These claims don’t matter for me honestly.”

The balance sheet of Akhannouch as an agriculture minister, who has been in position since 2007, is USD1 billion of investments in the agriculture field, and the gross domestic product (GDB) of agriculture in Morocco that was multiplied by two. Moreover, During the pandemic the nation was able to provide products for Moroccans and “export to foreign countries as well as European ones”, the minister explained.

Akhannouch added that all the sectors that were headed by the National Rally of Independents ministers were successful, “it’s true that all the programs that we worked on are initiatives by the Moroccan king but they needed men to lead it and work on it,” the minister stated.

The RNI leader described his party’s electoral program as “clear and concentrated” saying that the variety of numbers in RNI’s political program, is in order to give citizens an argument and proof of the accuracy and seriousness of their promises.

“Our party toured Morocco almost 5 times to listen to Moroccan citizens, this is how we made our electoral program.”Akhannouch added explaining the importance of listening to set up an accurate political program that respects people’s priorities.

When asked about RNI’s promise of 1 million work opportunities, Akhannouch said that his party’s experience will make it able to stay true to this promise by creating initiatives in the private sector. He added that Moroccan teachers, who are formed in pedagogy, deserve and should be well rewarded for their efforts.

As he sighed, took a deep breath and fixed his glasses, Akhannouch started talking about Agadir. The secretary general thinks the city is in an unfortunate situation. “Agadir is a city of Amazigh culture capacity, we want it to be the city of youth and culture.” He continued “We want Agadir to go back to its owners”; he added that Agadir will be revived by its talented citizens.

Akhannouch assured that there’s a positive response from Moroccans with the pigeon party, however, he added “we should wait for the elections results and not precede the events.”

Answering the question about 2016 political scenario, RNI leader agreed with specifying a deadline to form a government and reach a poltical agreement with other parties. In 2016, RNI party clung to conditions that were rejected by Prime Minister-designate Abdelilah Benkirane (Secretary General of Justice and Development), in a crisis that lasted for 6 months and ended with the dismissal of the latter and the assignment of the second man in the party, Saad Eddine El Othmani, to form the government, meeting Akhannouch’s conditions.

Akhannouch urged Moroccan voters to go to the polls on election day and vote to make a change, “This election campaign is clear, it’s like a weeding, and for the weeding to go to its right decision, Moroccans need to go to vote and choose, if they want change they need to go and vote, without voting there’s no change”

The RNI leader cxoncluded the interview by assuring that him and is colleague in the party, Moulay Hafid Elalamy, Minister of Industry, Trade, & New Technologies, are working “just for the homeland” without any financial reward and they will indorse this choice to be made by more businessmen ministers in the party, in case they won.