First court session against Figuig mayor’s water decision begins on Wednesday

The first session for the appeal filed in the Administrative Court by the members of the opposition in the Figuig municipal council was held this Wednesday morning.

The opposition is challenging the mayor’s decision to bypass the majority vote against joining the “East Distribution Group of territorial communities,” which they argue entails the privatization of the region’s water, in the first place, along with electricity and wastewater management.

“We have received two response memos from the defendant in response to the opening article we submitted on March 11th,” revealed El Mostafa Yahya, a member of the opposition in the Figuig municipal council, without disclosing the content of these memos.

In a statement to Hespress EN, Yahya said the second session concerning the appeal filed in the Administrative Court will be held on March 27th.

The legal battle began when “the opposition identified 8 alleged violations by the mayor in the process of approving the decision to join the group,” previously explained Yahya.

“The breach of Article 136 of the Constitution is clear to us. The mayor’s change of decision, in response to the prefect’s request for reconsideration, was viewed as infringing on local management,” he said.

“The vote preceded without considering the locals’ opinion,” complained the same speaker. “The opposition members requested additional time to assess the proposal, as it is unreasonable to decide within 3 days, but the mayor refused,” he previously noted.

Yahya mentioned that “the remaining violations related to provisions of laws 113-14, including the necessary procedures before, during, and after the ordinary session, which the mayor failed to adhere to. “

He underscored that this is an unprecedented event in Figuig. “It’s the first time in Figuig’s history that an appeal has been made to the administrative courts against a decision taken by the majority in the municipal council,” he stated.

First call for dialogue with Figuig authorities:

After nearly 5 months of protests, authorities are preparing for the first session of dialogue with the concerned parties, scheduled for this Thursday at 1 PM local time at the Figuig prefecture headquarters in Bouarfa city.

The dialogue session is set to be chaired by the governor of the Eastern Region, in the presence of the prefect of Figuig province and the Director of Local Public Networks at the Ministry of the Interior, Mustapha El Habti.

The primary focus of this meeting will be on the implementation of Law 83-21, particularly the “East for Distribution” provision, alongside discussions on other topics.

The meeting will gather representatives from diverse sectors of civil society, including both proponents and opponents of the mayor’s decision.

Attendees will include members from the endorsing management bureau, opposition members from the municipal council, and representatives from various civil organizations, revealed Fatiha Kadi, a member of the Local Coordination for Advocacy on Figuig Issues, in a statement to Hespress EN.

In addition to regional council members, the parliamentarians are expected to take part in this meeting as well.

“As opposition and dissenting members, our intervention will be resolutely focusing on the withdrawal from “East Distribution Group of territorial communities,” underscored Yayha, in a statement to Hespress EN.