Authorities response to written questions divides majority and opposition MPs
Moroccan opposition parliamentarians typically criticize the federal government’s weak responsiveness to written questions on nationwide and native points affecting their districts. However, the federal government claims to be probably the most conscious of parliamentarians.
The House of Representatives web site lists quite a few written questions that MPs have submitted to ministers on varied subjects, however many have obtained no replies, regardless of the structure and the inner guidelines of the chamber requiring ministers to reply inside 20 days of receiving the questions.
Since the beginning of the present legislative session, opposition members have used public classes to confront authorities officers concerning the “lack of engagement with written questions.”
This concern was beforehand addressed by Mustapha Baitas, the Minister for Relations with Parliament, who claimed, “this authorities is probably the most conscious of questions from each homes of Parliament.
In this regard, Mustapha Al Ibrahimi, a member of the Justice and Development parliamentary group, mentioned that “this mostly reflects the government’s tendency to avoid and freeze embarrassing questions.” At instances, we, as MPs, must remind ministers of written questions we’ve already requested on particular subjects, whether or not native or nationwide. Other instances, the solutions embody measures the federal government doesn’t observe by way of on, which forces us to boost the identical query once more.”
In a press release to Hespress AR, El Ibrahimi acknowledged that there’s a sure degree of carelessness within the relationship between the federal government and Parliament.”
He defined that the chief sees the legislative department in a mechanical means, simply as a instrument to go legal guidelines due to its majority within the House of Representatives, reasonably than as a physique for debate and dialogue.
The MP rejected the concept the connection between the federal government and Parliament must be considered as considered one of “teacher and student.”
He additionally argued that discussing the content material of MPs’ written questions in such element is actually a price judgment as a result of, ultimately, “we are the ones overseeing the government’s work, not the other way around, stressing, “Parliament is not an annex of the government.”
For his half, Ahmed Touizi, head of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) parliamentary group within the House of Representatives, highlighted that written questions are “a key tool for parliamentary oversight of the executive branch.” To be truthful to the federal government, the speed of responses to those questions has improved, and the variety of questions submitted by MPs to ministers has additionally elevated.”
In a press release to Hespress AR , Touizi famous that “the current government has achieved the highest responsiveness rate to written questions. We should acknowledge the importance and value of this engagement with representatives. It’s also important to recognize the challenge of time constraints for the government, given the sharp increase in the number of questions, which requires considerable effort and additional time to address effectively.”
He additional pressured that “the true value of written questions lies in their impact, not just in receiving a response—especially if that response is stereotypical. Ultimately, this mechanism is ineffective unless it leads to tangible results on the ground.”
