Casablancans protest high water bills

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Massive increases in water bills since July have prompted Casablanca residents to call for an end to the city’s nine-year-old contract with La Lyonnaise des Eaux de Casablanca (Lydec), a branch of French group Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux

Protests have included demonstrations in front of Lydec headquarters, petitions criticising the increase in the company’s prices and demanding their reduction and the refusal of many citizens to pay the bills.

The protests were heard in the City Council during its last session. Although the Lydec problem was not on the agenda, it was raised on a point of order and discussion of it took six hours. The body decided to form a multi-party committee to suggest ways to revise the contract between the city and the company and call for an extraordinary session to be held as soon as possible.

During the council meeting, leftist parties and the Islamist movements clamoured for Lydec to get out of Casablanca.

Mohamed Said Al-Sa’di, leader of the Party of Progress and Socialism and a counsellor in the Casablanca City Council, said "We cannot allow this company to continue to play around with the interests of our citizens and destroy their purchasing power. We are aware of the bad reputation of this company throughout the world. It has already been driven out of Argentina, Atlanta, Jakarta, Manila, and Houston due to its failure to fulfil its obligations..."

Independent Counsellor Mostapha Rahin indicated, "It is our duty as elected candidates to perform our role and treat this problem within the framework of the institutions, instead of allowing it to go out onto the streets and nourish civil insubordination and movements, which query democracy. What is the use of elections and asking people to take part in politics if we do not assume our responsibility of representing citizens and defending their interests?"

Counsellor Mostapha Al-Hia from the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party asked his colleagues to forget about political affiliations for the issue and to act as one in the interest of Casablancans. He demanded an audit of Lydec and its accounts disclosed.

The 1997 agreement with Lydec provides for review every five years. In 2002, the City Council decided not to review the contract because it was at the end of its term and preferred to leave the task to the new City Council.

Since the election of the current City Council in 2003, the question of revising the Lydec contract has been discussed many times. Council President, Mohamed Sajid promised in one of the sessions convened a year ago to hold an extraordinary session specifically on the topic.

He said, "I am still promising to hold an extraordinary session to discuss the City Council’s contract with Lydec and we are now ready to do this. We have retained firms with legal and financial expertise and an organisation specialised in the question of price components for services. These firms have presented us with reports and recommendations, which we shall place before the committee formed by the counsellors, to pave the way for holding an extraordinary session for the council, as a stage in the opening up of negotiations with the company."

Source: Maghrebia News