Moroccan daily Assabah reported yesterday that the PAM will submit a proposal to parliament seeking to redirect budget control and spending from regional governors and mayors (under the control of the Ministry of Interior) to locally elected bodies (municipal and regional councils). It is unlikely that such a major change in governance will take place—as it would dramatically weaken the hand of the Ministry of Interior (and therefore the Palace) in controlling local affairs and regional development. The fact that the PAM proposed it, however, does tell us something.
In other news, the Ministry of Interior is carrying out a new capacity building training program for council members in five major cities throughout the kingdom. The trainings will focus primarily on resource management. Are both of these initiatives—aimed at empowering and improving local councilors—actually sincere or likely to lead to major changes in governance? Probably not. But they should be lauded nonetheless.