HIBAPRESS – Fez
With the approach of the upcoming legislative elections, the city of Fez is experiencing a noticeable increase in the level of political discourse related to the ongoing infrastructure and reform projects within the city.
While some elected officials, led by the mayor of Fez, seek to present these projects as the result of collective work by the elected councils, this narrative ignores a fundamental fact: that most of these projects are not within the jurisdiction of the local community, but are managed within a comprehensive national vision led by the Ministry of Interior and the Wilaya of the Fez-Meknes region as part of a large strategic program preparing to host international sporting events, primarily the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup.
In this context, the company "Fez for Development" stands out as the main executive arm for major projects, under the supervision of the Wali of the region, Khalid Ait Taleb, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and with joint funding from the Regional Council and the Prefecture Council. The Ministry of Interior has approved the majority of these projects, considering them to be structured projects of national dimension, far exceeding the powers of the local community.
During the last two years, the company has undertaken extensive programs to rehabilitate urban infrastructure, including major road axes, public spaces, and development projects related to Fez's preparations to host the upcoming sporting events.
Despite the clarity of the entity leading these projects, some elected officials have worked to market a number of projects as "their achievements," including:
* The rehabilitation of main roads such as the Imouzzer road and the Sefrou road
* The restructuring of a number of roundabouts and urban axes
* The rehabilitation of squares and vital areas within the city
The official data of the regional company emphasizes that these programs are approved centrally and regionally, while the role of the community is often limited to administrative licensing or providing limited financial contributions within partnership agreements.
One of the most prominent examples that confirms the absence of the community's role in decision-making is the urban tunnel project at the intersection of regional road 5006 with Imouzzer and Sefrou streets, a project that was announced within the company's program before the request for proposals was canceled, which highlights that it is a project led by state institutions and not the municipal council.
The follow-up meetings supervised by the Wilaya, represented by the Wali Ait Taleb, regarding the preparations for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, also reveal that these projects come within the context of implementing a national vision to rehabilitate major cities, and are not related to the performance of the elected councils, which remain an assisting party among several actors.
Mixing Politics with National Projects… A Problem that Requires Clarification
In light of this scene, public opinion finds itself facing a communication campaign that attempts to confuse the issue by attributing state projects to the elected officials, in an attempt to exploit them electorally. But the field facts confirm that:
* The major projects in Fez are national projects managed by the Ministry of Interior and the Wilaya, the community is not the decision-maker in most of them, and its role is secondary or administrative.
* The electoral promotion of these projects contributes to misleading citizens about the sources of funding and decision-making centers.
What Fez is witnessing today is not the result of individual initiatives or circumstantial achievements, but rather part of a comprehensive national strategy to rehabilitate major cities in preparation for hosting international events. Therefore, it becomes necessary to enlighten public opinion about the reality of these projects, protecting public discourse from political employment, and ensuring the right of citizens to know the entity that is actually leading the development projects within their city.
