Morocco’s Parliament to Implement Amazigh Language Use, Boosting Linguistic Diversity

It will be for the House of Representatives to equip itself with the necessary tools to enable the institution to ensure real-time interpretation of its proceedings from Amazigh to Arabic and vice versa, reports Al Ahdath Al Maghrebia.

As soon as the parliament’s budget is released, the House of Representatives plans to acquire the necessary equipment and conclude a contract with a specialized agency to ensure simultaneous translation of the proceedings from Amazigh to Arabic and vice versa. "The formula will allow Amazigh deputies to express themselves in the Amazigh language and the others to understand the content of their intervention," indicate the sources of the daily.

This initiative is in harmony with the Basic Law which stipulates in its Article 5 that "Arabic remains the official language of the State. The State works to protect and develop the Arabic language, as well as to promote its use. Likewise, Amazigh constitutes an official language of the State, as a common heritage of all Moroccans without exception," specifies the newspaper, citing the words of the President of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, at the beginning of the parliamentary session.

For the record, the previous mandate had adopted in 2019 an organic law on the officialization of the Amazigh language and its use in the administration, local authorities and public services to ensure its integration into the various areas of public life.

The question will be dealt with progressively with a transitional period, granting a period of 15 years to publish the legislative and regulatory texts in the Official Gazette in Amazigh. The same deadline has been granted to local authorities, in order to disseminate their decisions and deliberations in Amazigh, specifies the newspaper.