Thousands protest on Morocco king's allegiance day

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - Thousands of Moroccans marched on Sunday to press the Arab world's longest-ruling dynasty to relinquish more of its sweeping powers and stamp out corruption.

The protests coincided with the holding of a centuries-old Be'ya, or allegiance ceremony, where hundreds of regional representatives renewed vows of obedience to King Mohammed the day after the anniversary of his enthronement.

Morocco's monarch acted promptly to contain any spillover from pro-democracy uprisings across the region, promising constitutional changes to reduce his powers on March 9, two weeks after protests spread to his country.

A referendum on July 1 endorsed a new constitution. But the changes have failed to end peaceful protests by the youth-led February 20 movement, which is pushing for a constitutional monarchy with the king as a figurehead.

Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/07/31/uk-morocco-protests-idUKTRE76U2CU20110731

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Under the new constitution, the king will remain the supreme commander of the army and a new article formalised him as the highest religious authority in the country.

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The new constitution elevates the prime minister to the "head of government" and ensures he is selected from the party that received the most votes in election, rather than just chosen by the king. The prime minister also will have the new powers of choosing and dismissing Cabinet members and will be able to fill a number of other government positions, though the selection of the powerful regional governors will remain the king's prerogative.

The king also will continue to chair two key councils - the Council of Ministers and the Supreme Security Council - which make security policy. The prime minister can chair these councils, but only using an agenda set by the king.

Activists from the pro-democracy February 20 movement dismissed many of the changes, describing them as cosmetic. "Before we had an absolute monarch, now we have an absolute monarch that is a pope as well," said Elaabadila Chbihna, an activist with the February 20 movement that has been carrying out weekly pro-democracy marches around the country.

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The judiciary, which has long been criticised for lacking independence, would be governed by a supreme council composed of judges and the head of the national human rights council. The justice minister would not be on the council.

/... http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/king-of-morocco-unveils-constitutional-reforms-2299510.html


Washington / Morocco Board News-- The referendum passed with a majority of 98.5% in support of the new Constitution. Morocco’s traditional allies including France, the European Union, and the United States expressed support calling the reforms “a clear commitment to democracy” and describing Morocco as a model of democracy in the region. On the other hand, a pro-democracy movement on February 20th inspired by the Arab Spring, questioned the transparency of the referendum and called for more protests.

The referendum was marked by heavy participation of the Moroccan authority, not as a neutral body as it should have been according to the Constitution (Article11), but rather as an active advocator in support of the proposed Constitution.

The opposition, in and outside political parties, criticized the Moroccan authority for politicizing the Mosques and the official media. According to the opposition, the Imams were campaigning for a “yes” during Fridays’ prayers, while the local media including national television banned all attempted boycotts, and favored the Yes campaigns.

Now February 20th Movement is back in the street. Thousands of pro-democracy protestors took the street last Sunday to demand more freedom, better justice, and an end to corruption. That same day, protesters loyal to the monarchy marched in support of the new Constitution. The Moroccan streets are now more divided than they were a few months ago.

The EU’s and the US’s support for the reforms was anticipated. In fact, the opposite would have been a surprise. Morocco offers a political stability that is preferred over a risky democracy in the vulcanized Maghreb. A strong ally, such as Morocco, could play a key role in protecting the US and European interests in the MENA region.

/... http://www.moroccoboard.com/news/5350-moroccos-new-constitution-what-next


Reform of the constitution has been conducted in an anti-democratic manner, quite unlike what the king, Mohammed VI, claimed in his speech on 17 June. The ad hoc commission tasked with preparing the new constitution was appointed by the king and composed almost entirely of men and women whose loyalty was to him.

The palace, deaf and blind, chose to royally ignore the wave of contestation that pushed him to reform and leaned on an aging and subservient political class, which in any case had never asked for change.

It ignored the protests of the 20 February movement, which rejected this imposed process and considered that the conditions necessary for the drafting of a democratic constitution were not met. Self-assured and arrogant, the regime stubbornly continued in this vein.

This "consultative" approach turned into a farce when the commission refused to allow the heads of political parties to see the draft constitution, finally allowing them only 24 hours to prepare their remarks. This reform has been concocted in secrecy, without real concessions, and under the strict supervision of the king's political counsellor. These are the facts.

/... http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/23/morocco-new-constitution