"The goal all institutions should strive to attain is to serve the citizen. Should they fail in that mission, it would mean they serve no purpose and have, as a result, no raison d'être," said the sovereign, noting that managing the citizens’ affairs and serving their interests are both a national responsibility and a sacred trust, and in this regard there is no room for negligence or procrastination.

“Regrettably, some people take advantage of the mandate granted to them by the citizens to run public affairs, giving precedence to personal and party interests over public interest, for electoral considerations,” the sovereign said.

“By doing so, they fail to realize that what counts the most in elections is the citizen – not the candidate or the political party; they also erode the values underpinning lofty political action. If these people do not want to do their job and do not care about the citizens’ interests, be it at the local, regional or even national levels, why do they get involved in politics?, the sovereign wondered, affirming that true commitment to political and party principles means one should put the citizen above all other considerations.

“It means one should fulfil the promises made to the citizen and show dedication in serving him or her, making those promises prevail over any party or personal interests,” the monarch underlined.

“Because the efficiency of state agencies is a yardstick of a nation’s progress, and until the citizen’s relationship with them improves, Morocco will continue to be classified as a Third World country, or even Fourth or Fifth World country,” HM the King said.

“There is much talk about citizens meeting the country’s King and seeking his assistance to solve countless problems or to overcome difficulties,” HM the King noted, adding that “some people do not understand why citizens seek the assistance of their King to resolve simple problems and issues. What this means, in fact, is that something, somewhere, is not functioning properly.”

“Naturally, I take pride in interacting directly with citizens and in fulfilling some of their basic needs. I will continue to do that and to serve my people. The question is: Would citizens ask me to intercede if state agencies did their job? HM the King wondered.

“It goes without saying that citizens resort to me because they find doors shut, or because of some shortcomings in the work of state agencies, or because they want to bemoan some injustice they have suffered,” the monarch affirmed.

“When dealing with state agencies, citizens face a wide range of difficulties, be it in terms of reception, communication or the processing of files and documents – so much so that in the citizen’s mind, this has come to resemble an obstacle course,” the sovereign stressed.