Morocco’s Interior Minister Urges Mayors to Follow Appointment Rules for Local Officials

After noting that the presidents of the communes are trampling on the provisions and conditions set by circular no. D-7563 relating to the appointment to positions of responsibility, Abdelouafi Laftit has asked the walis and governors to remind the mayors of the obligation to adopt the models appearing in the note relating to the appointment to senior positions in the local authorities, reports the Arabic-language newspaper Al Ahdath Al Maghribia. These models must be meticulously filled out with the obligation to attach specific reports, it is specified.

"Decisions and contracts that do not comply with the provisions contained in this circular will not be validated," the minister warned in a letter. The same circular provides for the creation by the presidents of the communal councils of a commission responsible for selecting senior executives. Its mission will be to study the application files and organize job interviews with the selected applicants.

In a previous note, Laftit’s department had defined the new conditions to be met in the appointment procedure to senior positions in local authorities. These include the recruitment of competent executives from the public and private sectors with extensive experience. These executives must be able to assume the specific management responsibilities in accordance with the constitutional principles, particularly those relating to merit, parity and equal opportunities.