Morocco Withdraws Public Space Occupation Bill, Sparking Opposition Outcry

Nearly a year after its adoption by the Council of Government then chaired by Saad Eddine El Othmani, the draft law No. 03.19 relating to temporary occupations of public space has just been withdrawn from the legislative process by the new government led by Aziz Akhannouch, reports Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.

The Head of the Executive has sent a letter to the President of the House of Representatives, Rachid Talbi Alami, to request the withdrawal of this draft, as well as three others relating to the amendment of the Penal Code, mines and the social coverage of parents.

To read: Morocco Approves New Law to Regulate Public Domain Occupations

The withdrawal of the draft law relating to temporary occupations of public space has provoked the ire of opposition MPs who accuse the Akhannouch government of defending rent, while the draft law aimed to "ensure the necessary protection of the public domain and to put in place rules that take into account the specificities of these assets and guide towards an optimal and rational occupation".

This withdrawal paves the way for the permanent occupation of the public domain, explain the opposition MPs who also denounce the government’s silence on the reasons for this withdrawal. "Any government has the right to withdraw draft laws, provided it justifies its decision," criticized Rachid Hamouni, the head of the PPS parliamentary group.