Ould Er-Rachid told "Aujourd'hui le Maroc" daily autonomy does not means "a step toward independence" describing the move to empower sahrawis to run local affairs as "credible, real, modern and democratic".
The autonomy project is also a means to "lastingly settle" the Sahara dossier and is meant to involve all Sahrawis wherever they are, but not to "a specific organisation, association, or a part of the inhabitants" of the provinces.
The Moroccan southern provinces, retrieved in mid-seventies from Spanish rule under the Madrid accords, are object of a conflict after the Algeria-backed “Polisario” claimed the separation of the provinces from Morocco.
Er-Rachid said the CORCAS is tasked to spur the economic, social and cultural development of the provinces and defend their Moroccanity in cooperation with other departments, elected councils, civil society and tribes.
He said any contingent incident that could take place in the provinces is to be dealt with within the CORCAS through dialog, understanding and transparency.
CORCAS president also told "La Nouvelle Tribune" weekly, the council has not yet discussed the memorandum Morocco will present to the UN Security Council on the enlarged autonomy for the southern provinces.