Following ‘Al-Farkachia’ Remarks: National Media Association Takes Escalating Stance

Significant Developments in Media-Political Relations

In an escalating move reflecting unprecedented tension, the National Association of Media and Publishers has announced its decision to boycott all communication activities of the Mouvement Populaire party and its Secretary-General, Mohamed Ouzzine. This decisive step comes in the wake of a series of statements that the association deemed offensive to its institution and its president, asserting that they crossed the boundaries of political criticism into personal attacks unworthy of institutional responsibility.

A Political Stance Beyond a ‘Passing Reaction’

In its statement, the association considered Ouzzine’s remarks, made in his partisan capacity, to be an official political position that strikes at the heart of the media institution. The body emphasized that the attack on its president due to his professional stance is not just a personal matter, but a direct insult to all publishers and journalists who trust the association to represent them and defend the independence of the Moroccan press and the dignity of those working in the sector.

Unresolved Files and Rooted Tensions

This decision was not born of a fleeting moment but resulted from accumulated grievances; the association recalled the assault on the ‘Chouf TV’ team in the Khénifra province, a case involving individuals close to the party’s Secretary-General during their coverage of flood-related distress, which remains under legal review.

Accusations of ‘Buying Allegiance’ and a Firm Response

The association accused the party’s Secretary-General of attempting to ‘steer’ the media landscape through suspicious deals aimed at serving the party’s electoral agenda. In its statement, the association described Ouzzine’s remarks calling the body a ‘Farkachia sector’ as an irresponsible drift, while emphasizing its determination to continue exposing abuses related to communal management and electoral practices, free from any political pressure or blackmail.

With this stance, the association closes the door on communication with the Mouvement Populaire leadership, declaring that it will continue to fulfill its responsibility in protecting media integrity and confronting everything that harms the image of the national press.