Page 12 34. Based on the conviction that Morocco‟s rejection of the Settlement Plan and the referendum within its context was due to its fears that the Sahrawi electorate would vote massively in favour of independence, Baker proposed in his Plan, the Peace Plan for Self-Determination by the people of Western Sahara, that the Electoral Board should be expanded so that voters in the approved referendum would include Moroccans resident in Western Sahara as at 31 December 1999. 35. However, Baker was surprised that Morocco rejected his Plan as well under the pretext that the referendum included the option of independence. 36. The UN Secretary General, Mr. James Baker and his successor confirmed before the UN Security Council that it would be unacceptable to hold the referendum on self-determination organised by the UN without the option of independence. However, this also was to no avail as Morocco continues to reject the Plan. 37. Analysing yet the reasons that made Morocco reject the various plans of the United Nations, Mr. James Baker disclosed to PBS Television that Morocco was getting more nervous whenever the referendum was approaching. He added that Moroccans were getting more nervous as they feared that they may lose the referendum. That was why when we managed to identify those who are eligible to vote, Morocco decided to go back on its acceptance of the Plan.. 38. On the other hand, it is important to emphasize that UNHCR Mission to Western Sahara recommended in its report of 8 September 2006 that “as it has been emphasised in the various UN fora, the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara should be guaranteed and implemented without delay”. 39. Since its rejection of the Plan in 2004, Morocco has not ceased to reiterate that it was not willing to accept any solution to the Western Sahara issue other than that which is implemented within the context of Morocco‟s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is referred to by Morocco as self-government.

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