| The Kingdom of Morocco
is officially a constitutional monarchy, with His
Majesty King Mohammed VI the Head of State. The Moroccan
Constitution confers upon the sovereign the status
of Defender of the Faith. The gradual transition from
a purely monarchical form of government to one built
upon popular participation has been underway since
the reign of the current King’s grandfather,
His Majesty King Mohammed V. The Moroccan Constitution
dates from March 10, 1972, and underwent significant
revisions in 1992 and again in September of 1996.
In 1997, the Chamber of Representatives, a bicameral
legislature, was created. Members are elected to nine
year terms in the 270 seat Assembly of Councillors
(Majlis al-Mustasharin) or upper house. They are elected
by local councils (162 seats), professional organizations
(91 seats), and wage earners (27 seats). One third
of the members are renewed every three years. The
Assembly of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwab) or lower
house, has 325 members elected for five-year terms,
with 295 elected from multi-seat constituencies.
On August 6, 2002, His Majesty announced that the
first parliamentary elections under his reign would
be held on September 27, 2002. On that date, some
14 million voters were called on to elect the 325
members of the Assembly of Representatives. For the
first time there are an unprecedented 30 women in
the Majlis al-Nuwab thanks to a special system of
national lists established to guarantee 10% of the
Parliament’s seats to females. Of eligible voters,
only 52% took part. A primary reason for the low turnout
was an election boycott called for by the hardcore
Islamist parties that were banned from the political
process by the Moroccan government. The dramatic increase
in the number of female elected members and the introduction
of proportional representation into the voting process
were two dramatic firsts in the history of Morocco’s
democratic evolution.
Some 26 political parties ran in the September 27
legislative elections, which were widely hailed as
the first truly democratic ballot in Morocco’s
history. When the final results were proclaimed, the
Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) of then-Prime
Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi kept the lead with
50 of the 325 total seats. Its main ally in the governing
coalition, the Istiqlal Party came in second with
48 seats. The opposition moderate Islamist Party of
Justice and Development obtained 42 seats. During
the campaign the main subjects taken up by the opposition
were the increase in unemployment in rural areas,
rising consumer goods prices and an ongoing salary
freeze for civil servants. The outgoing coalition
government focused on economic stability, and progress
made in the fields of education, public health and
public finance management.
On October 9, 2002, His Majesty appointed former Interior
Minister Driss Jettou as Prime Minister. A successful
businessman known for his negotiating skills, he has
been given a mandate for rapid economic and social
change by the reform-minded King. Liked by the business
community, his selection was criticized by some because
he is not an elected deputy, but instead a royal appointee.
As the Kingdom of Morocco continues to make its way
down the path towards an ever more participatory government,
it is imperative that the development and reform efforts
of His Majesty and the democratically elected Moroccan
government are embraced and supported by nations such
as the United States. With this support, the people
of Morocco have a fighting chance for a better future.
Without it, there is no end to the potential for disaster. |
