Morocco’s two legislative chambers will hold a special joint session on Monday, November 2, at 1 p.m. to review the latest developments in the Western Sahara dispute, the speakers of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors announced on Saturday, urging lawmakers from both chambers to attend.
The session follows Friday’s UN Security Council meeting, where two rival drafts failed and the mandate of the UN mission in Western Sahara, MINURSO, was not renewed before its expiry on October 31. It is the first time since 1991 that the mission’s annual renewal did not go through.
A US-backed text, supported by 11 of the Council’s 15 members, was blocked by a Russian veto, while a Russian counter-draft for a technical extension drew only three votes. Hours later, the Royal Cabinet called the non-renewal a significant step toward closing the file at the United Nations and said the mission’s presence should cease in the coming days.
Major political parties, including Istiqlal, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, the Justice and Development Party, the Party of Progress and Socialism, the Constitutional Union and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, issued statements of support for the royal communiqué over the weekend.
Western Sahara’s final status remains disputed. Morocco proposes autonomy under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front seeks self-determination including the option of independence, a position backed by Algeria. Monday’s session will show how Parliament intends to position itself as the UN process enters uncharted territory.
Related: Morocco’s Royal Cabinet Calls for MINURSO to Leave After UN Vote Deadlock and Western Sahara After the UN Deadlock: What Changed, and What Did Not.
Sources: Morocco World News; Yabiladi English; Le Matin; Le7TV.
Featured image: the Moroccan Parliament in Rabat, a context image. Photo: CAPTAIN RAJU, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.
Background: Western Sahara Explained: The Dispute, the Players and What Comes Next.