فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The political scene in the municipality of Meknes has seen notable developments following the announcement of a planned wage increase for sanitation workers, an initiative proposed by the current office led by Abbas El Maghari. This move sparked waves of discontent within the opposition ranks, particularly among the so-called “major parties” such as the Istiqlal Party and some remaining advisors from the PAM party aligned with the opposition bloc in the municipal council, as well as the majority bloc in the prefectural and regional councils.
Opponents argue that this wage increase grants the council president significant political gains, potentially strengthening his position within the council amid a blockade war he faced from the opposition coalition aiming to topple him. This blockade had led to the postponement of the October council session, but Abbas El Maghari succeeded in infiltrating the opposition’s ranks, restoring his majority, and holding the session last Friday.
In a related development, the council president successfully passed the terms of reference related to the sanitation sector, allowing him to avoid further delays in launching service contracts for the Hamria and Zitouna areas. These contracts had been postponed previously due to delays by the Ministry of Interior in forwarding the relevant documents to the municipality.
Despite the significance of this step and its direct impact on improving sanitation services, most opposition councillors were absent from the voting session, citing that it was scheduled for Wednesday. However, administrative documents confirm that all members had received notifications that this matter was included in the agenda of the first session of the October council meetings, which observers took as evidence of a lack of seriousness among some elected officials, especially those known for playing both sides between opposition and majority.
On the other hand, opposition councilor Mohamed Achkoud from the Justice and Development Party stood out by attending all session proceedings and actively participating in debates, including on the terms of reference, which played a crucial role in passing the measure with an absolute majority, thus avoiding any problematic vote that could have been rejected by supervisory authorities.
Regarding the pending wage increases for sanitation workers in the Zitouna and Hamria areas, these adjustments are expected to bring their salaries in line with those of their counterparts in the Ismailia area, who previously benefited from a similar increase during the tenure of former president Abdellah Bouwano.
The municipality’s budget is expected to bear the cost of these increases, which will raise the total value of sanitation sector contracts to about 70 million dirhams (7 billion centimes).
