AL HOCEIMA, 31/10/00 - Re-emigrated Moroccans are angry about not being allowed to meet with Crown Prince Willem-Alexander last week. The Dutch Embassy in Rabat ignored 250 potential candidates, but did include a rather remarkable person in the program.

On a visit to Morocco, Willem-Alexander last Wednesday had scheduled a meeting with a number of Moroccans who used to live in the Netherlands. When the prince found only one person waiting for him, it was explained that it had been difficult to find "suitable" candidates. But according to the Al Hoceima-based Moroccan Re-emigrants Foundation (RME), the only man who actually met with Willem-Alexander, 43 year old Ahmed Ben Allou, is locally known as a drugs dealer.

In a letter to the Dutch Ambassador to Morocco, Revis, the RME-members have meanwhile expressed their surprise and anger about last week's course of events. Chairman Khalid el Bachrioui said yesterday he had no idea why none of his foundation's 250 members - all Moroccans who used to live in the Netherlands - had been invited to see the prince.