Moroccan parliamentarians highlighted, Monday in the Italian Senate, the mechanisms adopted by the House of Councilors to bring citizens closer to the parliamentary institution.
The Advisers took part in a meeting as part of the project to support the development of the role of Parliament in the consolidation of democracy in Morocco 2020-2023, financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council from Europe.
“Watching over the principles of transparency and participatory democracy, the House of Councilors has adopted a series of measures and actions to get closer to citizens, while involving them in the legislative process”, said Nahid Bennani, Councilor General of the House of Councillors.
This project aims to strengthen the role of the Moroccan parliament in the evaluation of public policies, optimize the communication channels of the legislative institution and digitize its action for optimal openness to its external environment, underlined Ms. Bennani, expressing the willingness of the Chamber of Councilors to strengthen the distinguished partnership with the Council of Europe to further consolidate the institution’s skills in the area of democratic governance.
According to her, this meeting, which follows a round table on the opening of the Parliament to the citizens, held last December, aims to make known the Moroccan experience and exchange with the Italian Senate around the techniques intended to promote the interaction between parliament and citizens.
For his part, Yassamine Essalhi, General Counsel, of the Center for Parliamentary Studies and Research, reviewed the various measures taken by the second chamber to establish its openness to civil society and citizens.
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In this context, the Chamber organizes forums and events annually, in particular the parliamentary forum of the regions, the parliamentary forum on social justice and the Moroccan youth forum, she said, also outlining the main stages of the materialization of the official character of the Amazigh language and the modes of its use in the plenary sessions and the structures of the second Chamber.
Through these actions and projects, the Chamber aims to highlight the participatory nature of its actions in the context of openness and listening to all stakeholders, particularly when it comes to the implementation of provisions of the Constitution, she added.
At the logistical level, arrangements have been made for people with specific needs, said Ms. Essalhi, noting that the institution has also optimized its infrastructure to facilitate access to its premises.
These various measures are part of the implementation of the High Royal Instructions and the provisions of the Constitution, in particular article 27, which stipulates that “citizens have the right to access information held by the public administration, elected institutions and bodies vested with a public service mission” and Law 31.13 on the right of access to information, she said.
For her part, the head of the communication division of the Chamber, Souad EL Hammami, looked at the various communication devices of the second Chamber, which “maintains permanent contact with both citizens and the media”. .
The institution watches over the right of citizens to attend public meetings as much as possible, while making available to visitors, particularly journalists and students, extensive documentation on the missions, operation and history of the second Chamber, which also attaches great importance to digital communication, she explained.
According to the organizers of the meeting, the Moroccan parliament has so far made efforts to bring citizens closer to the institution. The physical opening of the parliament building to citizens as well as the establishment of a virtual visit on the website of the House of Representatives and of an administrative unit specially dedicated to conservation, in particular to retrace the history of the he Moroccan parliamentary experience and the historical course of the building of the Chamber of Councilors confirm this desire for openness, it is underlined.
With MAP