Tensions rise in Morocco’s House of Representatives as opposition parties left the oral questions session, held on Monday June 24, 2024, denouncing the withdrawal of emergency topics and provocations from the president of the session, Zaina Id Hali. This unprecedented situation led to a call for a meeting to resolve disagreements regarding the articles of the internal regulations relating to urgent matters and speaking. Next Tuesday’s session will be decisive in calming conflicts and reestablishing constructive dialogue within the parliamentary institution.
In an unprecedented development, the teams of the opposition parties, namely the Popular Movement, the Party of Progress and Socialism, the Justice and Development Party, and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, walked out of the session of oral questions held today in the House of Representatives. This gesture of protest was a response to the withdrawal, according to them, of several emergency topics that they had submitted for discussion, as well as to the provocations to which their leaders were allegedly victims from the president of the session, Zaina Id Hali. Opposition parties also threatened to boycott future sessions if their concerns were not addressed.
Before the session was adjourned, at the request of the Istiqlal Party, the leaders of the opposition teams invoked article 152 of the internal regulations of the House of Representatives. This article allows MPs to raise urgent issues within 24 hours, a possibility which was rejected by the president of the session. Zaina Id Hali considered that these issues could only be discussed within the council office, and not during the oral question sessions. For their part, the heads of the majority teams supported this interpretation, affirming that the internal regulations were clear on this point.
However, this situation highlights the growing tensions within the House of Representatives, as well as the challenges it faces in maintaining constructive dialogue between the different parties. The meeting scheduled for Tuesday will be crucial to find a compromise and ensure that the concerns of the opposition parties are properly addressed, while respecting the regulatory framework of the institution.
In addition, the chair of the session, Zaina Id Hali, proposed to bring together the team leaders next Tuesday to try to resolve the recurring disagreements regarding articles 151 and 152 of the rules of procedure. Article 151 deals with speaking up in management matters, while Article 152 deals with speaking up for emergency matters. Furthermore, she stressed the need to clarify these provisions in order to avoid future conflicts and ensure the smooth running of parliamentary sessions.
