Rabat – The number of appointments which are part of the prerogative of the Government Council, including the appointments provided for in Article 92 of the constitution, now stands at over 500, as stipulated in the draft organic law on the appointment of public officials, adopted Tuesday by the Council of Ministers.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Public Service and the Modernization of the Administration, appointments of officials of 39 companies and institutions with strategic character, on a total of 746 positions, will be vested in the Council of Ministers, while 136 officials of institutions and enterprises will be appointed by the Government Council, bringing the total number of appointments as part of the prerogatives of this latter to over 500.
The bill in question, the statement said, lists 136 public institutions and corporations, except those listed as strategic institutions, as well as all senior positions in public administration (secretaries general, directors and others) which are the prerogative of the Government Council and legislative Councils.
The list of strategic establishments and enterprises which are part of the prerogatives of the Council of Ministers includes, according to the statement, 20 public establishments and 19 companies selected on the basis of considerations and criteria related to the strategic nature and sensitivity of their activities, as well as to the role assigned to them in the economic, social and cultural areas.
The appointment of officials for these public institutions is made by HM the King in the Council of Ministers, after deliberations within that Council, on proposal of the head of government and the initiative of the minister concerned, the source said.
Moreover, the draft organic law sets a series of principles to be considered in the selection of candidates for these senior positions, namely equality of opportunity, merit, transparency, non-discrimination on the basis of political opinion, union membership, language, religion, sex, disability or any other consideration contrary to the principles of human rights and provisions of the Constitution, in addition to achieving parity between men and women.
The document defines a set of criteria required for these positions, namely the enjoyment of all civil and political rights, a higher educational level, personal skills, managerial expertise and experience in this area gained within the public administration, local authorities and state institutions or enterprises.
The statement highlighted the scope and the extreme importance of this bill at this crucial stage in the history of the country, as a first step in the implementation of the new constitution, describing the text as “an advanced model of good governance internationally and a key lever for strengthening the foundations in terms of democratic governance.”
