Spanish Minister of Labour, candidate for Spanish government’s presidency : “Morocco is what it is, a dictatorship”
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- The candidate for the presidency of the Spanish government and current Minister of Labour, Yolanda Diaz has reaffirmed her position of support for the Saharawi people and international legality, expressing her intention to return to Spain’s traditional position regarding Western Sahara in the event of victory in the legislative elections slated for the end of 2023.
During an interview with a Spanish journalist, the number three of the Spanish government, who will stand under the banner of a new political platform called Sumar, assured that her position vis-à-vis the question of Western Sahara was “very clear”, noting that she would “without a doubt” break the agreement that the head of government, Pedro Sanchez, has with the King of Morocco, to return to the traditional position of Spain.
“I am aware that we must of course take our neighbor Morocco seriously, but we must also know that Morocco is what it is: a dictatorship,” said the second vice-president of the Spanish government.
In a post published on his Twitter account, the representative of the Polisario Front in Spain, Abdullah Arabi praised “the clarity and emphasis” with which Yolanda Diaz spoke in the program “LoDeEvole” on Western Sahara.
Earlier and during her participation in an event in Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Yolanda Diaz, assured that “two minutes after the announcement of the unilateral and unlooked-for reversal of Pedro Sanchez’s position in favor of the (Moroccan) plan in Western Sahara, the U-turn was categorically refused”.
Yolanda Diaz declared that at the time she totally disassociated herself from the position of her superior, stressing that “the position of Spain vis-à-vis this cause should emanate from a national dialogue, while taking into account the right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination, guaranteed by the international law.”
Noting that the Spanish political class was indignant at the reversal of Pedro Sanchez’s position on the conflict in Western Sahara, dubbing it as “scandalous” and “contrary” to Spain’s historical position in favor of the international law.
For its part, the Canary Coalition party stressed support for the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence, reaffirming its commitment to continue to defend the just Saharawi cause.
At an election rally in the Canary Islands, the party representatives stressed the “need to allow the Sahrawi people to exercise their right to self-determination and independence”.
The political party, running for regional and general elections, promised to “continue to defend the just cause of the Sahrawi people, denounce all suspicious measures taken by the Spanish government (towards the issue) and support the efforts of Spanish partners willing to accompany international legality and international law.
The party also recalled the historical responsibility of Spain towards the cause of Western Sahara, slamming the initiation of suspicious talks, contrary to international legality”.
The political party also encouraged Spain to “play its role appropriately based on the historical and political point of view, away from betrayal and exploitation of the Sahrawi cause, since the bargaining of this decolonization issue would only be a moral scandal that history will not tolerate”.
Succumbing to pressure and blackmail from the Moroccan regime, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on March 18, 2022, his support for the sinister Moroccan “autonomy plan” for Western Sahara, which offers limited self-government for the Saharawi people within Rabat’s sovereignty.
The announcement marked an unprecedented move in Madrid’s long-standing neutrality towards its former colony.
