In response to the criticisms directed at Fatima Zahra Mansouri, the national coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), regarding the so-called "Tassaltant land issue," the party leadership, represented by Samir Koudar, the head of the organizational pole, has stepped forward to provide new insights and refute the allegations surrounding the incident. Koudar, who also serves as the President of the Marrakech-Safi region, has publicly rejected the unwarranted attacks on his party colleague, who holds the position of Minister of National Territory Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy, as well as the mayor of Marrakech. He characterized these attacks as an "media war" coinciding with the upcoming electoral deadlines, firmly stating that misleading the public through the circulation of what he called "false claims" is unacceptable.
Koudar elaborated on the matter, dismissing the misinformation proliferated on social media. He emphasized that there are conflicting claims regarding the land's ownership, with some asserting it is state land, others suggesting it belongs to the treasury, and yet others claiming it is agricultural land. However, he clarified that the truth is that the land in question is registered property, purchased in 1977 by the late attorney Abdel Rahman Mansouri, Fatima Zahra's father, from an individual. This information is critical for the public to understand, as it counters the various narratives being propagated.
Furthermore, Koudar vehemently rejected the notion that Mansouri's licensing of the land was an act of favoritism due to her governmental position. He pointed out that the urban planning scheme for the Tassaltant area was approved in 2017, a time when Mansouri held no official position, neither as a minister nor as the mayor of Marrakech. He explained that the urban planning design undergoes multiple stages, including a public consultation phase that allows citizens to voice their objections. This design was published in the official gazette and made available to the public, indicating that it was not reserved for any particular individual.
Addressing the accusations that Mansouri exploited her position to convert 66 hectares of agricultural land into residential properties, Koudar clarified that the urban planning design encompasses 8,700 hectares, and that the lands owned by the minister and her family still retain their agricultural classification. He noted that if she had indeed intervened to convert these lands to sites suitable for development, she would have included all agricultural lands in the same urban planning scheme.
Koudar emphasized that the agricultural lands in Tassaltant that have been converted into buildable plots amount to 5,800 hectares, of which Mansouri's family owns only 66 hectares, representing a mere 0.5% of the total area that has become suitable for construction. He further reinforced that the urban planning design maintains the original classification of the property, even if it has been transitioned from agricultural to buildable land, allowing the owner the option to utilize it for agricultural purposes if they so choose. It is important to note that the documentation process is not replaced by land registration until after construction has commenced.
Additionally, Koudar reported that over 600 projects have been authorized in the Tassaltant area, not just those of the Mansouri family. He dismissed claims that the former director of the urban agency rejected any such project, stating that the project in question was never submitted during that period. Concluding his remarks, Koudar asserted that the campaign orchestrated by Mansouri's adversaries and the PAM will ultimately prove fruitless, addressing them directly by saying, "Rest assured, Mansouri is not only the daughter of righteous people; she is also righteous herself and a daughter of the righteous."
As reported by hespress.com.
