Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined: Constitutional Insights Pre- and Post-2011

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined: Constitutional Insights Pre- and Post-2011 Istituto Affari Internazionali IAI WORKING PAPERS 13 | 34 – December 2013 ISSN 2280-4331 Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined: Constitutional Insights pre- and post-2011 Mohammed Hashas Abstract Compared to Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, Morocco’s political development looks like an oasis of tranquillity. “Moroccan exceptionalism” is often drawn on as a positive status, the result of at least one decade of reforms implemented by the monarchy, long before the Arab Spring events. An alternative view is offered by some civil society movements inside the country and by the 20 February Movement, born amidst the waves of the Arab Spring, which are critical of this exceptionalism and call for more reforms. By making reference to the constitutional reforms undertaken by the country since 1908 and by assessing the most recent reform efforts, this paper argues that “Moroccan exceptionalism” is yet to go through the test of the implementation of what is often referred to as a “promising constitution” that should in its intentions pave the way for a genuine constitutional monarchy in Morocco. “Moroccan exceptionalism,” as the paper concludes, is not the description of a “final” political situation; rather, it is merely “a phase” in the political life of a country undergoing transition. It is then the outcome of this “phase” that will determine whether “exceptionalism” takes on a positive or a negative meaning and whether the two contrasting narratives about “exceptionalism” can ultimately be reconciled. Keywords : Morocco / Domestic policy / Reforms / Arab Spring © 2013 IAI ISBN 978-88-98650-05-7 IAI Working Papers 1334 Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined : Constitutional Insights pre- and post-2011 Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined: Constitutional Insights pre- and post-2011 by Mohammed Hashas ∗ Introduction The label “Moroccan exceptionalism” is often used both by government officials in the country and many political analysts and commentators. Digging deeper into its meaning, it appears that interpretations tend to vary. While it denotes what is positive and progressive for government officials, it is most often associated with political malaise and the complex situation in the country by its critics. 1 It is then a controversial label. For a deconstruction of the ambiguity that surrounds it, in the light of the Arab Awakening, I will outline the general characteristics of Moroccan constitutionalism from 1908 to 1 July 2011 and the adoption of the latest constitution. The idea behind this review of constitutional developments in the country is to identify the factors that have Paper prepared for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), December 2013. ∗ Mohammed Hashas, PhD, is research fellow at LUISS University, Rome ([email protected]). 1 Among current politicians, for example, Driss Lechguer, former minister and secretary general of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), says that Moroccan exceptionalism is very linked to the Moroccan monarch since the independence, and it is not the result of the so-called Arab Spring. Most political parties and government officials argue along the same lines; see “Lechguer: Change has Started with the Independence, and the King has Led Moroccan Exceptionalism” [in Arabic], in Hespress , 12 September 2013, http://hespress.com/permalink/88685.html. Lahbib Choubani, a leading figure of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) and current minister of Relations between Civil Society and Parliament, says the same: “Choubani: Morocco is an Exception in the Context of the ‘Arab Spring’” [in Arabic], in Hespress , 21 October 2012, http://hespress.com/permalink/64881.html. Some others see that this “exceptionalism” dates back to more recent time, 1999, when the current king Mohamed VI took power and initiated big projects of change in the country; see for instance, Brahim el Guabli, “On the Moroccan Exception” [in Arabic], in Jadaliyya , 4 March 2011, http://www.jadaliyya.com/pages/index/793. As to intellectuals, they mostly refer to the history of the country and its old political system and monarchy to say that Moroccan exceptionalism is built not only by the monarchy but also by the will of the Moroccans in embracing the kingdom: Idriss Hanni, “On the Meaning of Moroccan Exceptionalism” [in Arabic], in Hespress , 21 March 2011, http://hespress.com/permalink/29393.html; Anouar Majid, “Four Reasons Why Morocco is an Exception”, in Morocco World News , 1 January 2012, http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/01/21260; Mohammed Hashas, “The Moroccan Exceptionalsim: ‘We Want Corruption to Go, Change to Come, and the King to Stay!’”, in AljazeeraTalk , 22 February 2011, http://www.aljazeeratalk.net/old/en/node/7400. External followers of Moroccan politics also recognize some aspects that make the country different: J. Peter Pham, “Moroccan Exceptionalism?”, in World Defense Review , 10 February 2011, http://worlddefensereview.com/pham021011.shtml. Yet, not all see exceptionalism as a positive feature: Fouad Oujani, “Morocco May Not Be an Exception”, in Fair Observer , 11 February 2012, http://www.fairobserver.com/article/morocco-may-not-be-exception; Mohammed Hashas, “Is Moroccan Exceptionalism Falling Apart?”, in Reset-Dialogues On Civilizations (Reset-DoC) , 31 May 2013, http://www.resetdoc.org/story/00000022251. I note that Nathan J. Brown uses the term “Moroccan exceptionalism” to speak of the lower debts Morocco had compared to other Arab countries, like Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt which had huge debts, and which justified the early French and English imposition of protectorates and direct colonialism by the late 19th century: Nathan J. Brown, Constitutions in a Nonconstitutional World. Arab Basic Laws and the Prospects for Accountable Government , Albany, State University of New York Press, 2002, p. 33. © Istituto Affari Internazionali 2 IAI Working Papers 1334 Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined : Constitutional Insights pre- and post-2011 distinguished the country from other countries that are also experiencing change. Because of the place the monarch occupies in Moroccan history and political life, this brief constitutional review will focus on his position and role in the drafting and implementation of the texts. In this paper, I classify the constitutional stages in the country into three: 1) failed constitutionalism (1908-1972) during which the state and the king could be described as one body; 2) limited constitutionalism (1972-1992) during which the king shared powers; and 3) transitory constitutionalism (2011 - present) in which the king shares more of his powers without letting go of all of them, in an arrangement that could be said to constitute a system of “semi-constitutional monarchy.” I focus on this last stage, which has a bearing on the so-called Arab Spring. I will refer to some of the main changes the current King Mohamed VI has initiated since coming into power in 1999, and the challenges he still faces. The latter are behind the development of a Moroccan version of the Arab Spring, led initially by the Movement of 20 February. The Moroccan Spring was met with the royal will to pursue change by drafting a new constitution followed by free and fair legislative elections. This paper sheds light on the place of the monarch in the new constitution, compared with the previous ones, and the significant powers he still exercises. While his policies since coming into power in 1999 are broadly described as reformist and “democratic” in spirit, which makes the monarchy an exception in the positive sense of the term in the Arab world, he is also criticized for the side-effects his super-activism has on the elected executive power (the government) and the rule of law in general. The executive powers of the king challenge and consequently “indirectly” weaken the role of the elected government, especially when his democratic spirit is tainted by the corruption of his entourage (the makhzen ). It is this aspect of the kingdom that renders the label “Moroccan exceptionalism” pejorative. Overall, this paper argues that “Moroccan exceptionalism” is not a description of “a final” political situation but a description of “a phase” in the political life of a country that is seeking democratic change. It is the outcome of this “phase” that will ultimately determine whether “exceptionalism” takes a positive or a pejorative meaning. The two major challenges and scenarios presented at the end of the paper will show which tendency is more likely to prevail. 1. Failed constitutionalism: 1908-1972 What I refer to as the failed constitutionalism phase covers six attempts at constitution- making during the modern history of the country, and three others that succeeded in drafting and adopting constitutions. I call it “failed” even though three constitutions were adopted because they were all “given constitutions,” i.e., the king directly drafted them for his subjects, without consulting their representative bodies. They were not drafted by directly elected commissions or councils. In this period of the history of the country, which was still in the initial stages of crafting modern institutions, the Moroccan monarchy did not exercise absolute power, like that of France under King Louis XIV (reigned 1643 -1715). Rather, the Moroccan monarchs, based on their claim of being descendants of the Prophet of Islam through Ali’s offspring, have used the Islamic © Istituto Affari Internazionali 3 IAI Working Papers 1334 Moroccan Exceptionalism Examined : Constitutional Insights pre- and post-2011 consultancy practice of bay‘ah , which means bestowing loyalty to the king by the elderly representatives of tribes, lands, and especially religious scholars. 2 The first attempt at constitution-making in the country came from a group of governing elite, intellectuals, and religious scholars ( ulemas ) of Fez in 1908. 3 Their aim was not only to control the authority of the king and make him seem accountable but also to curb European (in this case French) colonial pressures that were already being felt in nearby Algeria and Tunisia and to limit internal rebellions and fix fiscal crises. 4 The abovementioned stakeholders presented a list of demands to King Abdel Hafid (reigned 1909-1912).
Recommended publications
  • Morocco 2014: the Return of Authoritarianism
    Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama Morocco 2014: The Return of Authoritarianism Maâti Monjib (PJD) heading the coalition seems to have definitively Professor come to terms with royal hegemony over the execu- Mohammed V University, Rabat tive branch. It thus relinquished a democratic inter- pretation of the 2011 Constitution granting the exec- utive branch substantial powers while turning various Geographical Overview | Maghreb Geographical Overview 2014 was the third year of the Benkirane administra- royal powers – formerly discretionary – into limited tion. The cabinet led by him resulted from the early powers. After this reshuffle, control over key minis- elections brought on by the 20 February Movement tries such as those of the Interior, Foreign Affairs and protests (the Moroccan version of the so-called Education by palace officials has made the little pow- ‘Arab’ Spring) occurring over the course of 2011. er held by the Prime Minister dwindle even more. This is the first time in Moroccan history that an Isla- This return to pre-2011 monarchic authoritarianism mist party independent from the monarchy is head- has been accompanied by an increase in the weight ing the government. In any case, Benkirane, a mod- of security agencies in decision-making processes. erate conservative leader, only managed to stay at This is implicitly justified by the real threats to the the head of the coalition government during the sec- country by extremist groups, whether loyal to Daesh 176 ond half of 2013 by making significant political con- or al-Qaeda. Some two thousand Moroccans, a cessions to the pre-Arab Spring establishment, par- large part of them bearing European passports, are ticularly insofar as sharing power with the royal participating in the combats in Syria, Iraq and other palace camp.
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond Islamists & Autocrats
    PROSPECTS FOR POLITICAL REFORM POST ARAB SpRING Beyond Islamists & Autocrats MOROCCO: peting through more or less free and fair elections for par- liamentary and governmental positions since 1956, when Prospects for Civil Society the country established independence from French rule, n Vish Sakthivel arguably the greatest prospects for democratic reform can be found not in traditional political institutions but in the This paper, the second in a series exploring reformist country’s civil society. As this paper demonstrates, civil so- actors among non-Islamists throughout the region, ex- ciety entities such as trade unions and organizations work- amines prospects for political reform in Morocco. The ing on democratic development, women’s empowerment, paper defines democratic/reformist actors as individu- human rights, and the rights of the Berber (Amazigh) mi- als or groups supporting the familiar procedural mech- nority carry promise for Morocco’s democratic prospects, anisms of power sharing, such as regular elections and even as the political system remains dominated by the open contestation for political office, and also possi- monarchy. Indeed, since the constitutional reforms of bly working to strengthen the attendant freedoms of 2011, many Moroccan political groups, including those expression, association, and press; legal protections counterdemocratic strains with strong links to the regime, for minorities; and social conditions, such as literacy, portray themselves as reform-oriented, democratic actors widely acknowledged to be necessary components of a and may, in certain ways, serve as facilitators for reform democracy. Religious or Muslim democrats—or those groups. But their primary role is to facilitate continued le- seeing a role for religion in public life—are included in gitimacy for the regime, often taking up the ancillary role this definition.
    [Show full text]
  • The Islamist Movement in Morocco. Main Actors and Regime Responses
    DIIS REPORT 2010:05 DIIS REPORT THE ISLAMIST MOVEMENT IN MOROCCO MAIN ACTORS AND REGIME RESPONSES Julie E. Pruzan-Jørgensen DIIS REPORT 2010:05 DIIS REPORT DIIS . DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES 1 DIIS REPORT 2010:05 © Copenhagen 2010 Danish Institute for International Studies, DIIS Strandgade 56, DK-1401 Copenhagen, Denmark Ph: +45 32 69 87 87 Fax: +45 32 69 87 00 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.diis.dk Cover Design: Anine Kristensen Cover Photo: Polfoto.dk Layout: Allan Lind Jørgensen Printed in Denmark by Vesterkopi AS ISBN 978-87-7605-378-9 Price: DKK 50.00 (VAT included) DIIS publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.diis.dk Hardcopies can be ordered at www.diis.dk The report was commissioned by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but its findings and conclusions are entirely the responsibility of the author. Julie E. Pruzan-Jørgensen, Project Researcher, Religion, Conflict and International Politics, DIIS 2 DIIS REPORT 2010:05 Contents Abstract 4 Introduction 5 Religion and Politics in Morocco 6 The Islamist Movement in Morocco 8 Developments within MUR/PJD 11 Developments within Justice and Spirituality 15 Regime Responses: Reforms and Repression 19 Future Scenarios 24 Literature 26 3 DIIS REPORT 2010:05 Abstract Morocco’s formally accepted Islamist party, the Justice and Development Party (PJD), has further underlined its recognition of the authoritarian regime in response to a disappointing electoral showing and tough competition from the new Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). In contrast, the forbidden, although tolerated, Justice and Spirituality Movement (Al Adl wal Ihsan) retains its principled oppositional role.
    [Show full text]
  • Morocco: Freedom in the World 2020
    4/8/2020 Morocco | Freedom House FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2020 Morocco 37 PARTLY FREE /100 Political Rights 13 /40 Civil Liberties 24 /60 LAST YEAR'S SCORE & STATUS 39 /100 Partly Free Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale. See the methodology. https://freedomhouse.org/country/morocco/freedom-world/2020 1/18 4/8/2020 Morocco | Freedom House Overview Morocco holds regular multiparty elections for Parliament, and reforms in 2011 shifted some authority over government from the monarchy to the elected legislature. Nevertheless, King Mohammed VI maintains dominance through a combination of substantial formal powers and informal lines of influence in the state and society. Many civil liberties are constrained in practice. Key Developments in 2019 In July, a court in Salé issued death sentences for three men convicted of the December 2018 murders of two Scandinavian women hikers in the Atlas Mountains. Authorities characterized the killings as an attack by the Islamic State militant group. Prominent journalist Hajar Raissouni was arrested in August with her fiancé and charged with extramarital sex and obtaining an illegal abortion. Each was sentenced in September to one year in prison, with the court rejecting evidence that Raissouni was not pregnant and was being treated for a blood clot. She, her fiancé, and her doctors all received royal pardons in October. Teachers’ unions organized a series of protests during the year to demand better working conditions, at times drawing harsh police responses. Political Rights A. Electoral Process A1 0-4 pts Was the current head of government or other chief national authority elected through free and fair elections? 1 / 4 https://freedomhouse.org/country/morocco/freedom-world/2020 2/18 4/8/2020 Morocco | Freedom House Constitutional reforms in 2011 required the king to appoint the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliamentary elections, but the reforms preserved nearly all of the king’s existing powers.
    [Show full text]
  • International Reports 1/2017
    Source: © Rafael Marchante, Reuters. Marchante, © Rafael Source: Other Topics Government Formation by Consensus? Monarchy, Democracy and Political Islam in Morocco Helmut Reifeld 90 Since the constitutional reform and 2011 elections, Morocco’s political reform course has continued to stabilise. However, is there any democratic foundation for this stability? Do the political parties form a democratic force that could lead the population through a necessary transformation process? And how “moderate” are the Islamists who were in power during the last election period? On 7 October 2016, at the end of a normal For Benkirane, this crisis came to a head with legislative period, the seats were reallocated the King’s decision to request the new parlia- in Morocco’s House of Representatives. As the ment to elect a president, even without a new leader of the moderate Islamist Justice and government in office in order to be capable of Development Party (PJD), which again won a taking action. Thus, on 13 January 2017, (with majority of the seats, King Mohammed VI fol- the abstention of the PJD), Habib El Malki was lowed the constitutional guideline to invite the elected by the USFP as the new parliamentary former Prime Minister, Abdelilah Benkirane, to president.1 This may be viewed as a highly prag- form a new government. matic solution, however, many observers also treated it as a “coup d’état” that contested the Over a period of more than five months, will of the electorate.2 Benkirane unsuccessfully attempted to honour this invitation during tough coalition negoti- This crisis came to an end on 17 March with the ations.
    [Show full text]
  • Neues Kabinett Und Regierungserklärung in Marokko
    POLITISCHER SONDERBERICHT Projektland: Marokko Datum: 26.01.2012 Neues Kabinett und Regierungserklärung in Marokko Nach intensiven Verhandlungen zwischen den vier Parteien der Regierungskoalition (PJD (islamisch-konservative Partei), Istiqlal (konservative Partei), MP (liberale Partei), PPS (Linkspartei)) wurde am 03.01.2012 im Einklang mit der neuen Verfassung - Abdelilah Benkirane (PJD) durch König Mohammed VI. zum neuen Regierungschef ernannt. Diese Regierung, die ursprünglich auf 15 bis 20 Geschäftsbereiche beschränkt werden sollte, zählt nun insgesamt 31 Ressorts mit 22 Ministern, 7 beigeordneten Ministern, dem Generalsekretär der Regierung und dem Regierungschef, wobei es jedoch keine Staatssekretäre mehr gibt. Im Vergleich zur scheidenden Regierung ist keine bedeutsame Reduzierung der Ressorts zu verzeichnen, da die letzte Regierung insgesamt 35 Vertreter umfasste. Im Gegensatz zu den ursprünglichen Ankündigungen hat die Regierungsarchitektur keine grundlegenden Änderungen erfahren. Das für die Beziehungen mit dem Parlament zuständige Ministerium wird das Ministerium für Beziehungen mit dem Parlament und der Zivilgesellschaft, wodurch der Zivilgesellschaft – der neuen Verfassung gemäß – eine wichtige Rolle übertragen wird; das Justizministerium wird das Ministerium für Justiz und Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung_Politischer Sonderbericht_Marokko_26.01.2012 1 Grundrechte - was eine Stärkung der bürgerlichen und individuellen Freiheiten bedeutet, wie sie auch in der neuen Verfassung vorgesehen ist, die den Menschenrechten ein ganzes Kapitel mit 22 Artikeln widmet. Es handelt sich um die erste, auf der Grundlage der neuen Verfassung gewählte Regierung, die somit eine im Vergleich zu ihren Vorgängern wesentlich politischere Regierung sein wird. Durch die neue Verfassung wird nämlich die Rolle der politischen Parteien beträchtlich gestärkt – insbesondere dadurch, dass ein Regierungschef aus der Partei ernannt wird, die als stärkste Partei aus den Parlamentswahlen hervorgegangen ist.
    [Show full text]
  • No Rivals to the King. the Limits to Political Reform in Morocco's
    Introduction Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Comments No Rivals to the King WP The Limits to Political Reform in Morocco’s “Enlightened Authoritarianism” Isabelle Werenfels and Ilyas Saliba S In Morocco it is still the king who defines the boundaries of political discourse and action. The palace is increasingly placing obstacles in the path of its strongest adver- sary, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD). This was seen most recently in the difficult and protracted coalition negotiations following the October 2016 parliamentary elections. At the same time, pressure on civil society critics is steadily intensifying. The inherent promise of political reform in Morocco’s compara- tively inclusive model is increasingly eroding and gradually substituted with the promise of economic modernisation, potentially undermining the very bases of the kingdoms domestic stability. It is thus also in Europe’s interests for Morocco to uphold the pro- gress it has achieved through the political reforms of recent decades. On March 15th 2017, King Mohammed VI ahead of the royalist Authenticity and of Morocco withdrew Abdelilah Benkirane’s Modernity Party (PAM). The PJD also did mandate to form a new government. In the well in the 2015 local and regional elec- five months since October 2016 the popular tions. As prime minister, Benkirane pulled serving prime minister and PJD leader had off the delicate balancing act of cutting failed to establish a viable coalition. Due to subsidies without it leading to major pro- the election results he would have needed tests, but he occasionally deviated from the support from parties close to the palace.
    [Show full text]
  • The Birth of a Moroccan Ruling Coalition
    ASSESSMENT REPORT The Birth of a Moroccan Ruling Coalition Policy Analysis Unit | April 2017 The Birth of a Moroccan Ruling Coalition Series: Assessment Report Policy Analysis Unit | April 2017 Copyright © 2017 Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. All Rights Reserved. ____________________________ The Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies is an independent research institute and think tank for the study of history and social sciences, with particular emphasis on the applied social sciences. The Center’s paramount concern is the advancement of Arab societies and states, their cooperation with one another and issues concerning the Arab nation in general. To that end, it seeks to examine and diagnose the situation in the Arab world - states and communities- to analyze social, economic and cultural policies and to provide political analysis, from an Arab perspective. The Center publishes in both Arabic and English in order to make its work accessible to both Arab and non-Arab researchers. Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies PO Box 10277 Al Tarfa Street, Zone 66 Doha, Qatar Tel.: +974 4035 7777 www.dohainstitute.org Table of Contents Introduction 1 The Makeup of the New Government 1 The PJD Loses Ground 3 The Resurgence of Bureaucrats and Crown Ministers 3 Political Loyalists to the Forefront 4 El Othmani’s New Cabinet: Looking to the Future Error! Bookmark not defined. THE SAAD EDDINE EL OTHMANI CABINET IN MOROCCO Introduction Former Moroccan Foreign Minister, and member of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Saad Eddine El Othmani succeeded in creating a new cabinet in three short weeks.
    [Show full text]
  • Exception Or Pioneer? Political Islam in Morocco
    6 KAS INTERNATIONAL REPORTS 10|2013 EXCEPTION OR PIONEER? POLITICAL ISLAM IN MOROCCO Helmut Reifeld Dr. Helmut Reifeld is Resident Representative Shortly after the first stirrings of the Arab Spring, the of the Konrad-Adenauer- éxception marocaine, the Moroccan exception, quickly Stiftung in Morocco. became one of Morocco’s hottest topics in the media and in public debate. To understand the political factors underly- ing this exception, we need to look at the country’s recent history and in particular the fact that the country has a stable monarchy. The current king, Mohammed VI, is seen as a reformer whose policies are often described as a cul- ture de l’anticipation. Added to this are the parliamentary structures and autonomous political parties that have been established since the independence in 1956, constitutional developments since 1962, and the country’s multi-ethnic population structure and pluralistic culture. For almost two years now, Morocco has been peacefully run by a moderate Islamic government, while Islamic governments in Tunisia and Egypt have been the cause of renewed unrest and have contributed to instability. Without further verifying these particular factors, it is also clear that the relatively successful process of transforma- tion currently taking place in Morocco is setting it apart from the other countries of North Africa. Morocco’s elite sees its country as a hub between Europe and Africa, and the spotlight is increasingly being turned on Morocco as a model for peaceful transformation to parliamentary democracy and stronger ties with Europe. However, it is no secret that the country also has its darker aspects.
    [Show full text]
  • The Moroccan Government
    The Moroccan Government Abdelilah Benkirane Head of the Government PJD Abdellah Baha Mohand Laenser Saad-Eddine El Othmani Mustafa Ramid Ahmed Tawfiq Driss Dahak Minister of State Minister of Interior Minister of Foreign Minister of Justice and Minister of Endowments Secretary-General of the PJD MP Affairs and Cooperation Liberties and Islamic Affairs Government PJD PJD Nizar Baraka Minister of Nabil Benabdellah Aziz Akhannouch Mohamed El Ouafa Lahcen Daoudi Mohamed Ouzzine Economy and Finance Minister of Housing, Minister of Agriculture Minister of National Minister of Higher Minister of Youth and Istiqlal Town Planning and and Maritime Fisheries Education Education, Scientific Sports Urban Policy Istiqlal Research and Executive MP MP Training PJD Aziz Rabbah EL Hossein El Ouardi Mustapha El Khalfi Fouad Douiri Abdelouahed Souhail Abdelkader Aâmara Minister of Equipment and Minister of Health Minister of Minister of Energy, Mines, Minister of Labour and Minister of Industry, Trade Transport PPS Communications Water and the Environment Vocational Training and New Technologies PJD Spokesperson for the Istiqlal PPS PJD Government PJD Lahcen Haddad Bassima Hakkaoui Mohamed Amine Sbihi Abdessamad Qaiouh Lahbib Choubani Abdellatif Loudiyi Minister of Tourism Minister of Solidarity, Minister of Culture Minister of Handicrafts Minister in charge of Minister Delegate to the MP Women, Family and PPS Istiqlal Relations with Parliament Head of the Government in Social Development and Civil Society charge of the PJD PJD Administration of National
    [Show full text]
  • The Conflicting Moroccan Responses to Normalization with Israel by Sadik Rddad
    MENU Policy Analysis / Fikra Forum The Conflicting Moroccan Responses to Normalization with Israel by Sadik Rddad Apr 12, 2021 Also available in Arabic ABOUT THE AUTHORS Sadik Rddad Dr. Sadik Rddad is a founding member of the Moroccan Cultural Studies Center in Fez, Morocco. Rddad is a contributor to Fikra Forum. Brief Analysis Moroccan responses to normalization with Israel are split along two opposing narratives, although popular resistance to normalization is unlikely to cause any real change. nly a few months before the announcement of the normalization of diplomatic ties between Morocco and O Israel, the Islamist Prime Minister of Morocco, Saad Eddine El Othmani, had categorically ruled out the possibility. He likewise indicated that his position was the unanimous position of the state, the government, and the Moroccan people, stressing Morocco’s immutable foundational convictions over the Palestinians’ right to establish a viable state within a two-state solution. Indeed, for some Moroccans, the Palestinian cause is probably only second to the country’s principle national cause, the Moroccan Sahara. In what sounded like an electoral campaign speech to the youth section of the PJD last August, El Othmani stated that the rights of the Palestinians and the status of Jerusalem are red lines for Morocco. Based on the Moroccan government’s declared position on the resumption of ties with Israel, and given its reserved stance towards the "deal of the century,” along with its open opposition to Israel's settlement policies, it seemed at the time that the normalization was strictly out of the question. As such, the subsequent reversal of this position seemed like an unexpected turn of events for many observers.
    [Show full text]
  • Islamist Spring in Morocco, Or a Gattopardo's Effect
    CIDOB • Barcelona Centre for International for Affairs Centre CIDOB • Barcelona notesISSN: 2013-4428 internacionals CIDOB ISLAMIST SPRING IN MOROCCO, 47 or a Gattopardo’s Effect MARCH 2012 Mohammed El-Katiri, Senior Research Analyst, Conflict Studies Research Centre, UK he landslide win of the Islamist Parti de la Justice et du kept to this principle of running only in limited constituencies Développement (PJD) in Morocco’s parliamentary elec- - increasingly in the 2000s, when the party attracted an ever- tions in November 2011 has been followed with great growing number of supporters, this self-imposed constraint ar- Tinterest and some concern by many of Morocco’s neighbours, guably became a tactical move, aimed at not antagonising the both inside and outside the Arab World. The leader of the win- population and, more importantly, the heart of Morocco’s po- ning political party, Abdelilah Benkirane, was subsequently litical power, the Moroccan Palace establishment, the Makhzen.1 appointed Prime Minister - Algeria’s short-lived experi- breaking the long-held prac- ence with an Islamist party tice that lets the King appoint In the wake of the Arab Spring, and following recent constitutional winning elections in a land- an own or preferred candi- changes pushed through by Morocco’s King Mohammed VI, Morocco slide victory in 1991 and the date for the position. Only a saw a landslide electoral victory of the moderate Islamist party PJD. subsequent political turmoil year ago, both events -the vic- The Moroccan Islamists’ victory has built up over years, but this is the that had not yet completely tory of the Islamists and the first time the party entered into a formal government.
    [Show full text]