In the latest episode of the program “Testimonies for History,” produced by Hespress and hosted by journalist Naima El Mebarki, politician Mohamed Ben Aissa is a guest on the program as a central figure to discuss his political career. He is known for holding many important positions in the decision-making process during the reign of the late King Hassan II, who appointed him Minister of Culture, then Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United States of America, before becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999 to 2007.
Ben Issa, parliamentary advisor for the Authenticity and Modernity Party in the current government term and president of the Asilah Municipal Council for more than 40 years, is currently the Secretary General of the Asilah Forum Foundation, which oversees the Asilah International Cultural Season; this forum is considered one of the most popular Moroccan cultural events in the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and African cultural milieu due to its openness to cultural figures from various backgrounds. And herein lies the strength of Hespress’ guest: the ability to combine the hat of a politician with that of an intellectual.
In this seventh and final episode, Ben Issa calmly responded to Al-Mubaraki’s “embarrassing” question regarding the lack of a real infrastructure that matches the reputation of Asilah, considering that “there is no longer a fragile infrastructure in the city. Every development gap has been dealt with. We still have the coastal space to work on,” adding: “As for the role of tin, it is true that it exists; but it is a global problem and is not limited to Morocco.”
Ben Issa, who gave this question great importance, pointed out that “the state is working hard to combat shanty towns. We know in advance that their existence is essentially linked to immigration; but this is not the role of the municipal council nor the parliament,” explaining that “the message has been conveyed repeatedly to the officials directly responsible for the file and the interior authorities are informed, and we have implemented programs; because investments are not in turn in the hands of the municipality or parliament.” He said: “It is true that I have relationships that I have benefited from in cultural investments.”
The prominent politician added that these investments contributed to the construction of Prince Bandar’s library, and the grants helped the Asilah Forum Foundation to increase the housing supply with 900 apartments to combat shanty towns with the support of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman, noting that “Asilah has, based on this assistance, the best and largest cultural facilities in the Kingdom of Morocco; but it needs funding. We are an association that begs… we beg, and I sometimes joke and say: I am the biggest beggar in Morocco.”
He continued, saying: “Everything that happens here comes with ‘will’. In every season, some Moroccan organizations contribute with us after great effort; because the state, in order to fight fraud, has also complicated the rules of these contributions, and with it the right so that no manipulation occurs, especially with public funds.”
He added: “I say if I die tomorrow, I will die with great sorrow, because I did not succeed and could not bring the money to build a hotel, even though I tried. Is there a fight? I do not know; but all the hotels go to many areas except Asilah. Now, there is a 4-star hotel that will start soon.”
The speaker excluded these matters from the jurisdiction of the municipal council, which he has headed since 1983, considering that its jurisdiction is limited to collecting waste, granting building permits after the approval of the urban agency, repairing faulty lighting fixtures, etc., adding: “I used to be able to obtain some supplies for the benefit of Asilah. Therefore, these repairs that concern the beach station, for example, are not from the municipality’s funds. We do not have an income, our income is very limited (…) The budget concerns management, and we do not have a budget for equipment.”
The mayor of Asilah spoke about the rehabilitation of the port, which “did not exist at all, and the fishing professionals only carried out their marine activities twice a year,” noting that “electricity was also not available, and potable water was distributed by trucks daily, and there was no modern means of collecting waste… and therefore, we lived tragedies.”
The guest of Hespress added that “it is not in our capacity, nor is it our mission or duty, to enter the places that contain random construction and provide them with what is necessary,” noting that “the exploited land is not owned by the owners of the random construction, so you sometimes find them on private land or on state land, and this is an existing problem. As a municipality, we do what is required of us. I am not calling for miracles; but I claim that we have achieved things that did not exist, such as paving the road.”
In an indirect response to his opponents and critics, Ben Issa said that these points related to development in Asilah “are sometimes, for small political reasons, raised in order to dig up the reputation of the municipality,” considering that “politics is this… to say something about a person that is not true. I tolerate everything except when someone touches my morals and dignity, then I resort to the judiciary. This happened to me when I was a minister; I always prefer to settle matters in the judiciary, and whoever has evidence against me should present it.”
In response to Al-Mubarki’s question about the horizon of the Asilah International Cultural Season after Ben Issa, considering it a season that seems to be linked to his name and “efforts,” he pointed out that “cultural work in Asilah is not limited to the season, especially since organizations from all over Morocco come to meet here,” moving on to the future of the major cultural event, explaining that “he always says that the state will come one day and pay attention and allocate a budget to manage it because it is forbidden for this to happen.”
He noted that major festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival and others who supervised it have passed away, but its continuity has become guaranteed after the state adopted it, (…) “Our expenses in Asilah in this regard, and in all these matters, do not exceed 4 and a half million dirhams only,” revealing that there are troubles that sometimes arise in the inability to pay the electricity bills of the cultural facilities located in Asilah. People appreciate but they change, as the manager of a donor institution can leave; and not all people appreciate creative and cultural work. This is how life is, and I hope that others will be motivated to work for their country and their king… and goodness in what is to come.”
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2024-08-18 22:13:50