Constitutional reforms leading to more democracy in the Kingdom of Morocco
For the second time since the Arab Spring and in an effort to continue enacting democratic reform, Moroccan voters are heading to the polls to vote for their lower house of Parliament.
“In any democratic development, it’s not the first elections that matter, it’s the subsequent ones,” Francesca Binda, president of Binda Consulting International, a political consulting company based in Malta, told The Media Line. “It’s not always the big steps, it’s the little ones.”
The elections, which were announced in late January by the Moroccan government, are the second elections since the constitutional reforms of 2011 and are being observed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
“The significance is whether, in fact, Morocco is moving to a larger and more participatory political arena in which there are more debates and participation in the much needed reform program,” Claire Spencer, a senior research fellow at Chatham House, said.
These elections will determine if the balance between political powers, which are still largely held in the palace, have been rebalanced, Spencer added.
Activists in Morocco say that just the fact of having elections is a good sign of the country moving toward democracy.
“We need something new and the elections will allow a new government to take over,” Ali Bouzerda, a Moroccan journalist told The Media Line.
Morocco, an Islamic kingdom in North Africa ruled by King Mohammed VI, enacted a series of constitutional reforms during, and after, the Arab Spring, the wave of protests in the Middle East calling for democratic change. Morocco’s pro-democracy movement, known as the February 20 movement, led a series of protests in Morocco in 2011 and 2012, which sought to pressure the King and the government to enact real constitutional and civil reform.
In response to the February 20 movement, the King of Morocco appointed a commission to create a new constitution.
He granted new civil rights – civil and social equality for women, freedom of expression and thought, rights for speakers of minority languages like Berber and judiciary independence – and reduced his role by giving more power to a Prime Minister, which he must name from the largest party in the country’s parliament. The current Prime Minister is Abdelilah Benkirane from the PJD, which won 27% of the vote in 2011.
“The reform of 2011 actually gave parliament a little more muscle, not necessarily power, but muscle if the elected Parliament Members (MPs) choose to use it,” Binda said.
Morocco’s parliament is comprised of two houses – the House of Councilors, which is the upper house, and the House of Representatives, which is the lower house – and members of parliament are directly elected. There are 395 seats in the House of Representatives, 60 of which are reserved for women and 30 of which are reserved for candidates under 35.
Analysts say that some 30 parties are represented in this election; however there are really just six major political parties: the Justice and Development Party (PJD), the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), the Istiqlal Party (IP), the Popular Movement (MP), the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), and the National Rally of Independents (RNI). The PJD, which is currently the party most represented, and the PAM are the two most popular parties in this election.
“PJD, which is the party for justice and development and the PAM, which is the party for authenticity and modernity, are deemed to be the most obvious rivals and they won the majority of votes in local elections last year,” Spencer said.
This year, the PJD, which is the Islamist party, has gained a popular following in urban areas whereas the PAM, known to be the more modern and liberal party, is more popular in rural areas.
In the last election, the PJD created coalitions with socialist and liberal parties to win 107 seats in the parliament. PAM, on the other hand, only won 12% of the seats. This year, however, the PAM is slated to win more seats, but analysts believe that the PJD will still win the majority.
While the country is moving towards democratic reform, no independent election commissions, political scandals and self-interested politicians are pushing many eligible voters to sit this election out.
With a population of some 34 million, there are 16 million people eligible to vote in Morocco; however, only about half are expected to. According to analysts, this is because the Moroccan people do not think that their politicians enact much change.
“I think the parties, for the most part, don’t listen to people, and they make outrageous promises that nobody believes anymore,” Binda said. “Politicians are not giving voters a reason to vote.”
Low voter morale is coupled by the fact that politics are still an elite game in Morocco and many candidates run in an effort to enrich themselves, Binda added.
Katie Beiter is a student journalist at The Media Line