Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid | |
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مولاي حمدي ولد الرشيد | |
![]() Ould Errachid in 2023 | |
Personal details | |
Born | 1947 (age 76–77) Laâyoune |
Political party | Istiqlal Party |
Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid ( Arabic: مولاي حمدي ولد الرشيد; born 1947) is a Moroccan Sahrawi politician currently serving as mayor of Laâyoune and president of the communal council of Laâyoune since 2006 under the banner of the Istiqlal Party. [1] Ould Errachid also serves as a parlementarian representing the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra constituency. [2] He is a member of the central bureau of the party, where he coordinates the three Southern Provinces and chairs multiple local associations in Laayoune. [3]
Moulay Hamdi Ould Errachid was born in 1947 in a tent near Laâyoune within the Reguibat tribe. [4] [3] His father, a respected herdsman in the tribe, was a veteran of a tribal revolt against France during their conquest of Morocco in 1937. [4] [5] He is the brother of Khalihenna Ould Errachid. [4] [6]
After the Green March, Ould Errachid was recruited into the Ministry of Interior in 1977, where he was a caïd for a district of Laayoune. [4] [7] He was elected as a parliamentarian during the 2002 Moroccan general election under the banner of the Istiqlal Party. [4] [7] In 2006, he became the president of the communal council of Laâyoune. [4]
Following his election, he expressed his interest in carrying out major projects and improving the socio-economic development of the region. [3] Under Ould Errachid's tenure as mayor of Laâyoune, the city underwent a "metamorphosis" over the past fifteen years which he has credited to the New Development Model for the Southern Provinces led by King Mohammed VI. [8]
In 2010, he spoke to the French Senate regarding the twinning of Laayoune with European cities and investment opportunities. [9] In 2023, he signed a sister city agreement between Laayoune and the city of Hollywood, Florida in partnership with Sister Cities International in hopes of improving local government cooperation, trade, cultural ties, and understanding. [10] [11]