The Frail Government

The government's decision to make deductions from our salaries and wages in response to the two day strike last February 10th and 11th has been the talk of roadside cafes, street corners, marketplaces and a few radio stations. I pondered on the decision for a while but couldn't find a reasonable reason for such an egregious choice. Then it suddenly dawned on me that it was just another mistake among others that this government has been making since it came to office. It has been doing all it can to deserve being called 'punitive government', a nickname coined by an independent newspaper.

I personally had a sinking feeling when the present Prime Minister was appointed. First, he was not very high on the popularity stakes because he has had the Najat albatross around his neck - for which he should have either resigned or been investigated and prosecuted - since 2002 when he was the Minister of Employment. 30, 000 young Moroccans were scammed into a scheme that promised them employment abroad at tempting wages for the payment of a sum of money. Six of them have already committed suicide. Second, I had that uneasy feeling because of the record-low voter turnout of the September 2008 elections which brought this government to power. The turnout was less than 37% if we take into account the canceled votes and the votes that were declared invalid

One of the worst punishments the Moroccan people have been presented with by this government is the weakening of the public's purchasing power through successive price rises. The prices of food and other commodities have skyrocketed higher than they ever have. This is occurring at a time when a large proportion of the Moroccan working class is unable to make ends meet. This is happening at a time when many Moroccans still live a quite primitive life in remote areas.

Another punishment this government is soon going to inflict on the public is the new infamous Highway Code. Some fines are almost as high as the wages of some drivers. The fact that Transport Minister is trying to apply a Swiss Highway Code to dilapidated Moroccan roads and poverty-stricken drivers has become a standing joke.

Also, this government has fallen short of meeting the expectations of its constituents. It has gone back on its farrago election promises of change and better living conditions for everyone. Unemployment, rampant among youth, is rising higher and the government has settled the problem by importing police batons from Spain and by raising the walls of the governing party’s headquarters higher so that the unemployed protesters won’t invade it. “If you think the government is working, ask those who don’t” says a message I once read on a bumper sticker in Boston, USA.

Additionally, the government of change has not been able to make the slightest movement to fight any form of corruption, petty and grand. Bribery, embezzlement, kickbacks, cronyism, nepotism, red tape bureaucracy, lack of transparency, lack of accountability and punitive measures all weigh heavily on the bottom million Moroccans living in stark poverty and never on the few rich elite. Corruption flourishes in the country because impunity shelters it, because whistleblowers are not protected, and because there is no real will to fight it. Our law, unfortunately, does not apply to everyone. Many perceive themselves as above it. Others can break it and come up smelling like roses using various methods and tactics.

Likewise, the old boy network government has not been able to cut exorbitant salaries that shear taxpayers. Ministers, MPs, CEOs and many more others receive incredibly exorbitant salaries and bonuses for the little work they do - which is usually done by others - while those who are overworked are paid a meager pittance. One cannot help laughing tragically at these ridiculously inflated salaries which are unjustified.

Even the problem of black plastic bags can’t be fought by this government of change, let alone the problems of education, health and justice. As everyone knows, thin plastic bags not only harm the environment but are a real visual eyesore as well. The neighbors of Morocco started the war against black plastic bags years ago but our government has not given it a place on its agenda yet. Need I say more?

Conversely, this government has been good at fighting the free press. Some members of the government refuse to talk to some newspapers because they don’t see eye to eye with them on most issues. It has been using a version of the old rule of “you are with us or against us” to frighten, intimidate, and silence them. Other tactics that have aimed at subduing these independent publications include prosecutions, crackdowns, heavy fines, suspensions and sentences. The government mistakenly considers the free press an enemy rather than a partner. In true democracies, the press is the core of democracy, the eyes, ears and mouth of the people. It is the floodlights that allows average citizens to control the government; however, our government wants us to be "like the deaf person at the wedding" who has no idea about what is going on. Anyway, I hope our free press digs in its heels and does not back down.

All that has been said above is out of love for this country. I enjoy watching the Moroccan flag wave up in the breeze. I deeply love listening to and reciting the National Anthem and thinking about all that it represents. I am a pro-monarchy, a pro-democracy, and a pro-constitution. In short, I am a true patriot and I wish my country the best of everything: less poverty, more accountability, less corruption, better justice, less bureaucracy, better education... Amen