These same critical voices also point to the consequent indemnities, from 62,618 dirhams per month, which each of the members constituting the ANRE must receive.
The day after the announcement, last Friday, August 7, 2020, of the composition of the members of this body, the strong criticisms initially formulated turned towards a denunciation of “nepotism” in the six appointments made by the presidents of the two Chambers of Parliament.
These critical voices want to know whether the members chosen fully meet one of the main criteria for their selection, namely “professionalism and competence”.
Clearly, the six members of this board, deemed to be close to Habib El Malki and Hakim Benchamach, do they meet the selection profile, as mentioned in Law 48.15, establishing the ANRE in 2016, and appearing in a government decree, numbered 2/20/564?
These two legal texts in fact mention that the choice of each member of this authority must be made on an essential basis, that of “professional skills and qualities”.
To be selected and appointed to this body, candidates must therefore be able to boast a wealth of experience in “legal, financial, energy and economic matters”.
However, several leaders of opposition political parties, such as the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS), have expressed “doubts” about the skills of the members of this council, appointed by the presidents of the two Chambers.
During a Council of Ministers, held in August 2018, King Mohammed VI appointed Abdellatif Bardach as president of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority.
A judicious, logical and appropriate choice, since Abdellatif Bardach is an eminent engineer who, in the accomplishment of his work, has already provided proof of his skills, and this, for more than 20 years, to the National Office of water and electricity.
However, these critical voices believe that the choice of the nine members of the National Electricity Regulatory Authority, in particular those of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP, majority), the PAM and the Justice Party and the Development (PJD, majority), obeyed much more partisan considerations than other, more objective criteria.
The President of the House of Representatives, Habib El Malki, one of the pillars of the USFP, appointed Mehdi Mezouari as a member of this council for a six-year term.
This former deputy is due to sit on this council, along with Mustapha Ajab and Seghir Baali.
As for the president of the Chamber of Advisors, Hakim Benchamach, he propelled three members of the PAM to this council from his perch: Ahmed Touhami, also a former deputy, as well as Mohamed Badir and Khalid Hannioui.
The other members of this council are Driss Chater (lawyer by profession), Mohamed Mahrouk and Mohamed Bernanou, PJD adviser to the Minister of Energy, Aziz Rebbah.
Recall that Nabil Benabdellah, secretary general of the PPS and Abdellatif Ouahbi, secretary general of the PAM, both denounced “cronyism” and “clientelism” which presided over the choice of the six aforementioned members, all leaders of the parties of the USFP , PAM and PJD.
Habib El Malki and Hakim Benchamach are thus accused of not having consulted all the political parties to find “consensus candidates”.
As for the allowances, considered both “huge” and “astonishing” (from 62,618 dirhams per month), that the members of this council will receive, the controversy and the debates will be lively, from next September, during the general meeting to be held by this body. The members of ANRE must indeed elect those who will sit on a first board of directors.
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