Board of House of Representatives Holds Meeting on Monday, March 30th

The Board of the House of Representatives held a meeting on Monday, March 30^th, 2020, under the chairmanship of the House’s Speaker Habib El Malki. The meeting tackled the management of the House’s activities in terms of legislation, Government control, and communication with the public opinion.

At the start of the meeting, the House’s Speaker and the Board members recalled the accelerating and successive events happening in the world and our country due to Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. On this occasion, they expressed their pride of the initiatives and measures taken by Morocco under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, may God glorify Him, which anticipated the social, economic, sectoral and legislation repercussions of this crisis, and put forward mechanisms to face those repercussions and mitigate their effects, in addition to mobilizing all available resources to face it.

Besides, the House’s Speaker and the Board members reaffirmed the importance of national consensus, and the spirit of solidarity and coordination shown by the Moroccan people, who have demonstrated strong synergy with the Throne through all national struggles. This synergy, as the Board reaffirmed, made of Morocco an exemplary country highly respected by other peoples and nations.

Also, the Board expressed its high appreciation of the efforts of the Government and all the actors in health, education, security, military, media, ministerial sectors, private sector, public authorities, and civil society. The efforts were marked by intense patriotism and give high hopes in the ability to overcome this difficult period to resume the promising journey of development.

The Board also expressed their appreciation and pride of the high spirits exhibited by the different components of the House, either through the solidarity campaign, their work in control and legislation, or their field initiatives based on closeness and direct help within electoral districts.

In addition, the House’s Board lauded the solidarity spirit and active contribution of the personnel of the House of Representatives, its Social Works Association, and its independent union.

Concerning the management of the House’s works and activities, the House’s Board affirmed the vital role conferred to the deputies regarding conveying and defending the citizens’ concerns and issues with the necessary sacrifice and selflessness. The Board also reaffirmed the House’s will to pursue the regular practice of its constitutional competences in a way that prioritizes the current context and its legislation and control requirements.

As for the House’s relation with the Government, the Board decided to correspond with the Head of Government concerning the practice of Government control and adjusting it to the current state of public health emergency.

Regarding the agendas of sessions devoted to Government control, the House’s Board has set a provisional agenda for the weekly sessions of April and May. The Board has limited the topics of the sessions to the sectors of health, interior, agriculture, finance, industry, trade, and national education, which will be determined following the future developments of the situation on the ground. Also, the House has decided to convene two monthly sessions devoted to questions directed to the Head of Government. The first one will be held on April 13^th, while the second will be held on May 25^th, 2020.

The Board has also set a special system for these sessions, which will be approved following its discussion with the chairpersons of parliamentary groups and caucuses.

Besides, the Board stressed the importance of broadcasting the works of standing committees and plenary sessions in media, reaffirming that it will provide all the necessary technical means for that.

Under the provisions of Article 65 of the Constitution, the second parliamentary session will be opened on Friday, April 10^th, according to organizational measures that will be defined by the Board after discussion with the Government, House of Councilors, and parliamentary groups and caucuses.

Regarding the House’s legislative agenda, the House reviewed a set of Government bills and referred them to the relevant committees. The bills concern the environment, regulating the job of accountants, and fighting money laundering. The Board also reviewed several parliamentary bills and referred them to the relevant committees. The bills are related to housing, social security, nurseries, civil registry, mountainous regions, and the social works associations of the officials of the Ministry of Justice, national security, health sector, and veterans.

As for Committees’ control activities, the Board commended the efforts of standing committees during the intersession, especially the ones relating to following the efforts of the health sector in containing the pandemic and putting an end to its outbreak, which was the subject matter of an important meeting held by the Social Sectors Committee with the participation of the Minister of Health. The Board also commended the committees’ efforts in accompanying agriculture, especially in measures relating to drought and support of small farmers, which was the subject matter of a meeting of the Productive Sectors Committee with the participation of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests. The committees also covered finance through discussing the establishment of a special fund to manage the outbreak of Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, which was the subject matter of a valuable meeting held by the Finance and Economic Development Committee with the participation of the Minister of Economy, Finance, and Administration Reform. The discussions culminated in forty-four recommendations relating to social, economic, financial, health aspects, and the precautionary measures relative to the prevention of Coronavirus COVID-19.

The Board also reviewed the fruitful discussion that marked the meeting held by the Internal Affairs, Housing, and Urban Policy Committee with the participation of the Minister of Interior to examine a draft decree enacting special measures to the state of public health emergency, which was approved unanimously. The meeting was an occasion to express the consensus of deputies over the urgent actions taken to ensure the safety of Moroccan peoples and territory.

The House’s Board concluded the meeting by expressing its will to take any measures and initiatives that would contribute to the national efforts in fighting Coronavirus COVID-19.