A victory by the Justice and Development Party in Morocco's first parliamentary elections since Arab Spring-inspired constitutional changes looked set to make Morocco the second Arab country this year to bring a moderate Islamist party into power. The party, known as the PJD, won 107 seats in Morocco's 395-seat parliament, more than twice the number of seats they hold in the current assembly. If the PJD can form a coalition, an Islamist now appears certain to become Morocco's prime minister for the first time in history, thanks to a set of democratic-leaning constitutional changes passed last summer. The PJD's imminent victory comes one month after the success of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party in Tunisia, where the so-called Arab Spring of successive, pro-democracy uprisings began last December. Morocco was able to achieve a genuine shift in power without the kind of bloody, destabilizing revolutions that have upended regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen. As its neighbors slip into debilitating conflicts and economic destitution, many Moroccans boast that Friday's elections recommend their easy-does-it approach toward lasting political change. "It's a victory of the Moroccan people, victory for political reforms and victory for what we can call the third model of political reforms," said Mustafa Khalfi, head of the PJD's policy committee. "It's a gradual, progressive approach to reform." While the PJD's plurality in parliament will grant the Islamist party unprecedented power, the party will still need to form a coalition with less religious groups. Candidates for such a partnership are likely to come from the "Koutla," a left-leaning coalition of three parties traditionally opposed to the king, said Michael Willis, a lecturer in Moroccan and Mediterranean Studies at the University of Oxford. "I'm not afraid of the Islamists because they don't have a majority, they need to work with the other parties to form a government," said Khalid Achibane, an official in the crown-aligned Authenticity and Modernity Party. "We don't have the time to think about imposing Islamist ideas. We need to find ways to find employment and solutions for our infrastructure problems." Defying a call for a boycott by pro-democracy activists, 45% of Moroccans voted in Friday's poll—a number that exceeded the 37% participation rate during elections in 2007. Supporters of King Mohammed VI say the moderately elevated interest in elected politics points to public confidence that the constitutional reforms passed in a referendum in July represent a genuine shift toward democracy. For the first time in its history, the political powers of Morocco's premier and the judiciary will be separate from the crown. Vote-monitoring groups say the elections were conducted cleanly, with little evidence of fraud. But mild irregularities persisted: The voter rolls were drastically shortened between the 2007 and 2011 parliamentary elections while the voting age was decreased to 18 from 21. Given such shifts, the increase in voter participation may not attest to increased electoral enthusiasm, said Jeffrey England, the Morocco resident director for the U.S.-funded National Democratic Institute. Despite that the premiership will now go to a party outside the palace's political orbit, activists have complained that the constitutional changes don't go far enough—most of the final domestic political power remains with the king, as well as questions of religion and foreign policy. The crown's concessions in a speech to the nation in early March immediately deflated the strength of Arab Spring-inspired protests on Feb. 20 that called for a strong shift toward British-style constitutional monarchy. Activists from the "February 20 Movement" urged Moroccans to boycott the parliamentary polls until the king forfeits more of his power to elected officials. "Even with the PJD coming into power, I still think that the king has all the power," said Zineb Belmkadem, a leader in the February 20 Movement. "The PJD has never been ambitious in terms of separation of power and a real parliamentary monarchy." Write to Matt Bradley at matt.bradley@dowjones.com
By Associated Press / PAUL SCHEMM Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 TIME and HUFFINGTON POST
(RABAT, Morocco) — The victory of an Islamist Party in Morocco's parliamentary elections appears to be one more sign that religious-based parties are benefiting the most from the new freedoms brought by the Arab Spring. Across the Middle East, parties referencing Islam have made great strides, offering an alternative to corrupt, long serving dictators, who have often ruled with close Western support.(See more on neighboring Tunisia's recent election.) The Justice and Development Party dominated Morocco's elections through a combination of good organization, an outsider status and not being too much of a threat to Morocco's all-powerful king. By taking 107 seats out of the 395 seats, almost twice as many as the second place finisher, the party ensured that King Mohammed VI must pick the next prime minister from its ranks and to form the next government out of the dozen parties in Morocco's parliament. It is the first time the PJD — as it is known by its French initials — will be part of the government and its outsider status could be just what Morocco, wracked by pro-democracy protests, needs. Although it didn't bring down the government, the North African kingdom of 32 million, just across the water from Spain, was still touched by the waves of unrest that swept the Arab world following the revolution in Tunisia, with tens of thousands marching in the streets calling for greater freedoms and less corruption.(See more on the Arab Spring.) The king responded by modifying the constitution to give the next parliament and prime minister more powers, and held early elections. But there was still a vigorous movement to boycott the elections. There was only a 45 percent turnout in Friday's polls, and many of those who went to vote turned in blank ballots or crossed out every party listed to show their dissatisfaction with the system. Election observers from the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute estimated that up to a fifth of the ballots they saw counted had been defaced in such a way. In the face of such widespread distrust of politics, historian and political analyst Maati Monjib said a government led by a new political force could be the answer. "If the PJD forms a coalition in a free and independent way and not with a party of the Makhzen," he said referring to the catch-all phrase for the entrenched establishment around the king, "this will be a big step forward for Morocco." In Tunisia, Morocco, and on Monday most likely also Egypt, newly enfranchised populations are choosing religious parties as a rebuke to the old systems, which often espoused liberal or left-wing ideologies. "The people link Islam and political dignity," said Monjib, who describes himself as coming from the left end of the political spectrum. "There is a big problem of dignity in the Arab world and the people see the Islamists as a way of getting out of the sense of subjugation and inferiority towards the West." Like the Ennahda Party in Tunisia, the PJD is also from the more moderate end of the Islamist spectrum. The party's leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, supports a strong role for the monarchy and the movement has always been careful to play the political game. The party doesn't describe itself as "Islamist" but rather as having an Islamic "reference," meaning that its policies follow the moral dictates of the religion. The PJD has also avoided focusing on issues like the sale of alcohol or women's headscarves that have obsessed Islamist parties elsewhere in the region, and instead has talked about the need to revamp Morocco's abysmal education system, root out rampant corruption and find jobs for the millions of unemployed. Mohammed Tozy, a professor of politics and prominent expert on Islamic movements, said the party has always had support in society, but in this election it managed to broaden its appeal. "What they lacked before was the confidence of the public and now they have been able to go beyond their traditional constituency and give assurances to the business and middle class that they weren't totally Islamist," he said. Part of the new success of Islamist parties across the region is due to the Turkish model. An Islamist party has been in power in Turkey for almost a decade now and has shown that "modernity and Islam can be allied effectively," said Tozy. In Morocco, the PJD is widely acknowledged as being the best organized in the country, relying on grass roots networks to promote candidates rather than just enlisting prominent local figures to attract votes. It also benefited from the push for change in the country and the discrediting of the parties closely associated with the status quo. In particular, the Party of Authenticity and Modernity formed by a friend of the king, which was the largest in the outgoing parliament, lost seats in the new elections. The PJD has had an ambivalent relationship with the activists of the pro-democracy movement. Several high-ranking party officials joined the street demonstrations and expressed their solidarity, while Benkirane himself warned against the protests — possibly to stay in the palace's good graces. It would not be the first time that Morocco's kings have looked to the opposition for help. In the final years of his reign, the current king's father, Hassan II, brought the leftist Union of Progressive Socialist Forces into the government for the first time, even letting its leader serve as prime minister. Little changed and the party lost much of its cachet in society and has since plummeted in the polls. Monjib said, however, that if Morocco is going to make it out of its current political crisis, this kind of manipulation must end. "The palace can't keep playing the game of emptying the parties of their substance, marginalizing them with the citizens, giving them the semblance of power, but not real power so they lose credibility," he said.
Moroccan Islamist Group PJD Wins Biggest Bloc in Elections November 28, 2011, 5:02 AM BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK
Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Morocco’s main Islamist group, the Justice and Development Party, won the biggest bloc of seats, 26 percent, in parliamentary elections that will test King Mohammed VI’s commitment to shift some powers to an elected premier. Turnout was 45.4 percent, the Interior Ministry said today in announcing final results. The balloting was the first since pro-democracy protesters began calling for a reduction in the monarch’s powers as part of the so-called Arab Spring that spread across North Africa with the ouster of the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Among the 32 parties that fielded candidates for the 395- member Chamber of Representatives was Prime Minister Abbas el- Fassi’s Istiqlal, or Independence Party, which won the last vote in 2007 and has taken part in almost every government since independence was gained in 1956 with the end of the French and Spanish protectorates. The party won the second-largest number of seats, 60. Voters “are clearly rejecting the past policies by picking the former opposition party,” Abdelilah Benkirane, head of the PJD, said by telephone yesterday. “Those who are against us must respect the principles of democracy. I frankly don’t understand why people are scared of us. With regards to women’s right, I don’t think anyone in 2011 can take the rights gained by women away.” The Justice and Development Party, or PJD, pledged to create about 240,000 jobs and ban the media from “objectifying” women’s bodies. Like the other major parties, it is nationalist and pro-monarchy. It was second in 2007. Three-Way Race
Also on the ballot was the newly created Alliance for Democracy, a bloc of eight parties led by Finance Minister Salah Eddine Mezouar that vowed to cut corporate taxes to 25 percent from 30 percent. Between them all, the Alliance parties won 159 seats. The elections were a three-way race between the PJD, Istiqlal and the National Rally of Independents or RNI, said Abdellah Tourabi, a researcher at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, or Sciences Po, who specializes in Islamic movements in Morocco. The PJD “has a big presence in the cities, and much less in rural areas and in the Sahara,” he said before the results were announced. “Istiqlal, because it is the best-managed party in Morocco, is very likely to be in the top three. The RNI will benefit from a transfer of candidates from the PAM,” or the Authenticity and Modernity Party. The RNI captured 52 seats in the election. ‘King Is Trusted’ While the shift of power to an elected government made the contest important for Morocco and for the wider region as it pushes for democracy, voters remained apathetic because only the PJD had a clear ideology, Tourabi said.
“People don’t see any difference between the parties,” he said. “Voting for left or right comes down to the same thing in a country where only the king is trusted and who in reality controls the country.” While Omar El Hyani, a 27-year-old engineer, voted in the capital of Rabat, he said he had little hope that the elections would bring change. “In the absence of a real desire from the regime to reform itself, they will remain a tool in the hands of the Makhzen to legitimize its actions,” he said, using the Moroccan term for warehouse, a reference to the royal advisers, business leaders and top bureaucrats who hold power behind the scenes. “I decided to vote this morning to stand in the way of certain corrupted figures. Parliament is a place where many laws are voted on, and we cannot afford to leave it in the hands of a political mafia.” Elected Prime Minister The balloting, originally scheduled for September 2012, was moved forward in response to the protests that began in February. While pushing Morocco toward change more quickly, the demonstrations haven’t reached the scale of the movements that toppled governments in Tunisia and Egypt. In response to the unrest, a new constitution was drafted on the king’s orders and approved by voters in a July 1 referendum. It provides for the naming of a prime minister from the party that comes first in the vote, rather than leaving the appointment to the king’s decision. It also gives the premier the right to dissolve parliament and cedes to lawmakers the right to grant amnesty to prisoners. While many demonstrators backed the constitution, some said it didn’t go far enough in shifting power away from the king, who appointed the members of the panel that drafted it. The monarch remains the country’s military, secular and religious leader. Election Boycott Morocco’s macroeconomic policies, put in place over the past decade, and political changes mean it is well placed to respond to the regional unrest, the International Monetary Fund said in July. Inflation is under control, credit continues to grow, and non-agricultural gross domestic product may reach 6 percent this year, the IMF said. The main challenge is achieving a GDP rate that will help reduce unemployment, which was at 9 percent and hitting the young, women and graduates hardest, it said.
--Editors: Digby Lidstone, Dick Schumacher. To contact the reporters on this story: Aida Alami in Cairo at aalami2@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net
Abdelilah Benkirane, general secretary of the Justice and Development Party, raises his fist in victory during a news conference in Rabat, Morocco, on Sunday. Casablanca, Morocco (CNN)-- A moderate Islamist party claimed victory in Morocco's first parliamentary elections since constitutional reforms this summer. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 107 of the 395 seats, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui said Sunday. The next biggest winner was the Istiqlal Party, also known as the Independence Party, with 60 seats, the Interior Ministry's website reported. The number of parties involved in Morocco's multiparty system means it was unlikely a single party would win a majority of the seats, so a coalition government would have to be formed. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered her congratulations Saturday "on the successful completion" of the elections. "The United States stands ready to work with the new parliament and the people of Morocco to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote transparent and accountable governance, and work toward sustained, democratic reform," she said. Turnout in the North African country was 45%, the Interior Ministry said Friday. The National Democratic Institute -- which had 41 accredited observers from 21 countries that went to over 200 polling stations on Friday -- said in a news release that the elections "were conducted transparently." The voting process was described as "technically sound" and "without fear of tampering or procedural violations." But one institute member, Canadian Liberal Party leader Bob Rae, also pointed to the turnout and a number of invalid and spoiled ballots as negatives. "Seeing the number of people who actively spoiled their ballots as well as those who did not participate, it is clear that the path to real change will take more effort and time," Rae said. Lise Storm, senior lecturer in Middle East Politics at the University of Exeter in England, said Friday that the outcome might signal whether the population is happy with the monarchy or not. The more votes for the PJD appear to indicate a desire for greater change, she said -- as opposed to votes for the bloc of traditional loyalist parties, which would suggest voters favor the status quo. Under the new constitution, approved by referendum in July, both Parliament and the prime minister have greater powers, while the monarch's sway has been slightly lessened. The changes mean the prime minister must now be chosen from the party that wins the greatest number of votes -- which, based on the preliminary results, would be the Justice and Development Party -- rather than King Mohammed VI selecting his own nominee for the job. The reforms came after thousands of Moroccans took to the streets to demonstrate earlier this year, inspired by what became known as the Arab Spring. The youth-based February 20 Movement called for jobs and an end to corruption its members say stems from royal cronies. Analysts say economic reform is needed to create more jobs for the country's young people, particularly many university graduates who are unemployed.
Journalist Aida Alami contributed to this report.
Moderate Islamist Party to Lead Coalition Government in Morocco
RABAT, Morocco — A moderate Islamist party achieved major gains in Morocco’s parliamentary election, according to final returns announced by the government on Sunday, giving it the right to lead a coalition government. King Mohammed VI is now expected to choose a prime minister from the party, Justice and Development. The election on Friday was the first under a new Constitution, which the king drafted in response to calls for more democracy inspired by the Arab Spring revolts. The Constitution reserves important powers for the king, including in military and religious matters, and does not establish the kind of constitutional monarchy demanded by the protesters. But the government will be Morocco’s first popularly elected one, with the power to appoint ministers and dissolve Parliament. In Tunisia last month, voters also elected a moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, in that country’s first free election. According to figures released by Morocco’s Interior Ministry on Sunday, the Justice and Development Party won 107 seats in the 395-seat Parliament. The party of the incumbent prime minister, Istiqlal, the historic party of the monarchy, came in second with 60 seats, while the center-right National Rally of Independents, led by the incumbent finance minister, came in third, with 52 seats. Despite the historic shift, Justice and Development is not expected to make any radical changes in policy, and is expected to include Istiqlal in its coalition. Founded in 1998, Justice and Development has always been loyal to the king and has long been the largest so-called opposition party in Morocco. Its leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, claimed victory, saying the party would focus on democracy and governing. “Today what I can promise Moroccans is that I am going to try, I and the team which will work with me, to be more serious and more rational,” he told the French television station France 24 on Saturday. The party has appealed to Morocco’s poor by focusing on economic and social issues, modeling itself on Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party, which has fused religion and modern politics. “Like Ennahda in Tunisia, they are new, haven’t cheated people and have expressed a real need for change,” said Mounir Ferram, a political analyst. The party’s victory, he said, was a rejection of widespread corruption and reflected voters’ deep disenchantment with the governing party. The new government, he said, will be “political electroshock” for the country. The party, while vague on policy prescriptions, has condemned corruption and promised to address the yawning gap between rich and poor. “We have a progressive approach to Islam,” Mustapha Ramid, a party leader, said in an interview. “The Islamicization of Morocco will be achieved only by re-establishing justice, and religious freedom.” In contrast to Tunisians, Moroccans did not break with their ruler. King Mohammed VI, who has been in power since 1999, remains popular, and Moroccans approved his amended Constitution in a landslide in a July referendum. The turnout on Friday was stronger than expected, despite a call for a boycott by the leaders of the pro-democracy protest movement, suggesting continued support for the king’s efforts. According to a provisional count, 45 percent of eligible voters cast ballots, up from 37 percent in the previous parliamentary election, in 2007, the Interior Ministry said. While safeguarding critical royal powers, the Constitution tilts the balance slightly toward popular government. The judiciary will become an independent branch, with judges no longer required to be approved by the king. The group that led the spring protests, the February 20 Movement for Change, has denounced the changes as inadequate, saying they reinforce royal prerogatives. Justice and Development “will not be able to pass any laws without the king’s consent,” Fouad Abdelmoumni, a movement leader, said on Saturday. Democracy will begin, he said, only when “the king will withdraw from the space of political decision.” The movement — a coalition of students, independents, leftist activists and Islamists — has held regular demonstrations and played a central role in pushing change and orchestrating protests against political corruption. It favors a constitutional monarchy, in which the king reigns but does not rule.
Souad Mekhennet reported from Rabat, and Maïa de la Baume from Paris.
VOICE OF AMERICA Sunday, November 27th, 2011
Final results from Morocco's parliamentary elections show that a moderate Islamist party has won the most seats in the country's legislature, giving it the right to lead a coalition for the first time. Morocco's Interior Ministry said Sunday that the Justice and Development Party — the PJD — captured 107 seats in the 395-seat assembly in Friday's polls, while Prime Minister Abbas el Fassi's nationalist Istiqlal Party came in second. The PJD is the latest Islamist party to win en election brought about by the Arab Spring, following Ennahda's victory in Tunisia last month. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is also expected to do well in parliamentary elections starting Monday. The new government will have to work with King Mohammed who retains the most power. He must now name a prime minister as part of constitutional reforms that were announced in the wake of popular uprisings that have toppled north African governments, including Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. As part of the reforms, King Mohammed moved up elections that were originally set for late 2012. Ruling party leaders say they are ready to enter talks with PJD on forming a coalition government.
Islamist Party Takes Most Seats in Morocco Poll Published
An Islamist Party is on track to become the largest party in Morocco's new parliament with a dominant showing after two-thirds of the seats have been announced by the Interior Ministry.
The Justice and Development Party has taken 80 seats, almost twice as many as the next most successful party, with 282 seats announced Saturday out of the 395 up for grabs in the nationwide vote Friday. Barring a massive upset, the PJD -- known by its French initials -- will be the largest party in the new parliament and charged with forming a new government -- making another Islamist victory in an election brought about by the Arab Spring. Last month, Tunisia's Ennahda Party took 40 percent of the seats in elections in the country that started a wave of pro-democracy uprisings across the Middle East after its people overthrew their long-serving president. Egypt is set to hold elections of its own on Monday that are also expected to be dominated by Islamist parties, lending increasing weight to the view that religious movements have been some of the biggest benefactors of the Arab Spring. Like the rest of the region, Morocco was swept by pro-democracy protests decrying lack of freedoms and widespread corruption, which the king attempted to defuse over the summer by ordering the constitution modified to grant more powers to the Parliament and prime minister and then holding elections a year earlier. Activists, however, have called the moves insincere and clamored for a boycott. Complete results, including those of 90 seats reserved for women and youth and the 23 remaining regular seats, will be announced Sunday. PJD is expected to ultimately win up to 110 seats. The Islamists' biggest rivals in Morocco's elections is a coalition of eight liberal, pro-government parties led by Finance Minister Salaheddine Mezouar, which has amassed more than 111 seats, but under the new constitution the party with the most seats gets first crack at forming a new government. The Islamists must now find coalition partners, with their natural allies being the "Democratic Bloc," an alliance of the right-of-center Istiqlal, or Independence Party, the left-of-center Union of Socialist Progressive Forces and the former communist party -- venerable political parties that have been eclipsed by Mezouar's so-called Group of Eight. "We are ready to work with the PJD on the condition that all the parties of the bloc participate in this government," affirmed Mohammed al-Khalifa, a member of the Istiqlal Party's political bureau. Ali Bouabid, a member of the USFP's leadership, agreed that an alliance was certainly possible and must be discussed. "If the bloc allies with the PJD it must be on the basis of a strong political program," he said. Such an alliance would be 165 seats strong and a majority of the results announced so far. In recent years Morocco's Islamists have cultivated an image as honest outsiders battling corruption, and seeking to improve services and increase employment, rather than focusing on moral issues such as whether women wear the Islamic headscarf or the sale of alcohol. Morocco, a close U.S. ally and popular European tourist destination suffers from high unemployment and widespread poverty. With dozens of parties running and a complex system of proportional representation, Morocco's parliaments are typically divided up between many parties each with no more than a few dozen seats, requiring complex coalitions that are then dominated by the king. The government announced a 45-percent turnout in Friday's contest, slightly more than legislative elections in 2007, but still less than local elections in 2009 and the summer's constitutional referendum. There are almost 13.5 million registered voters in this North African kingdom of 32 million, though it is estimated that there are many more people of voting age not registered, something an European observer team noted in their report that otherwise praised the election as free and fair. "The completeness of these lists are a key element of the electoral process and the delegation regrets that the current system, according to some, does not make it easy for citizens to register. In effect, a considerable part of the some 20 million Moroccans of election age are not on the lists," the Council of Europe said in a statement. As in 2007, a significant number of the ballots cast were invalid, in some cases because voters marked them incorrectly, but in others it was clearly a form of protest with the entire ballot or all the parties crossed out. The U.S.-based National Democratic Institute, which sent an election observer mission to Morocco, estimated that 20 percent of the ballots they saw during counting were invalid, suggesting a "citizen interest in further and deeper political reforms," according to its statement. "The vigor with which some people expressed their protests on their ballot form was noted by many of our observers in all parts of the country," said Bob Rae, a member of the delegation and the leader of Canada's Liberal Party.
Morocco's historic elections got off to a very good start by noontime.
SFGATE November 25, 2011
As voters in Morocco participate in elections today which will create greater democracy, human rights and prosperity, their greatest challenge will be apathy by other voters, reports the Morocco News Agency.
Morocco's historic elections got off to a very good start by noontime. International election monitors in all of the main cities in Morocco report peaceful and ordinary votes, says the Morocco News Agency. The Morocco News Agency (MNA) and their Morocco Elections News desk say that the weather is great, the sun is shining and the temperatures are mild, which should help voter turnout. Significantly, the pace of voters' turnout has picked up a bit. The election voting stations throughout Morocco opened at 8 a.m. (08:00 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. (19:00 GMT). The voter population is young - 57% of Morocco's 13.6 million eligible voters are 35 or younger. Indicative of the importance of the elections to the Moroccan political establishment is that 5,873 candidates from 31 parties are seeking to fill the 395 seats of Parliament - 70 of them earmarked for young and women candidates. "The main challenge facing the Morocco political system is voters' apathy," says the Morocco News Agency. "Back in the 2009 local and regional elections election turnout was 37 percent. In urban slums and remote villages downtrodden told pollsters that 'they did not plan to cast their ballots because they had no faith that legislators would work to improve their lives.' Therefore, all political parties and the media have conducted a major awareness campaign in the last few days urging the populace to go out and vote." Famous artists, entertainers and other media personalities went public promising that they would "do all they can" to ensure higher turnout than in previous elections. As well, the entire country is covered with official banners urging the people to "do their national duty" and "participate in the change the country is undergoing." International monitors in Morocco have told the Morocco News Agency that in the polling election stations they visited staff members are adhering scrupulously to the voting process intended to ensure both no-multiple voting and absence of any voter intimidation. Arriving at a polling station, the would-be voter is met by the first team of staff that will verify the voter's identity, reports MNA. The secretary of the polling station personally handles the voter's national ID card to verify his or her eligibility. The secretary then reads out loud the name and ID number and two other staff members verify the presence of the name and number on the voters' list. Once the voter's identity and eligibility are verified - the voter then takes from a separate table a paper ballot form. The voter in Morocco then enters an enclosed polling booth. There he or she marks the national and local lists as he or she chooses. The voter then folds the paper ballot form so the marked selection is concealed from view. The voter then inserts the ballot form into the ballot box under the supervision of two staff members to make sure that there is no multiple voting. The heads of the polling election stations in Morocco then marks the finger of the voter with indelible ink. The two members of the polling station staff sign in the margins of the voters' list to confirm that the voter cast his or her elections ballot. The secretary hands the voter his Morocco national ID card and escorts him or her out of the polling station. The next voter is then ushered in. International monitors noted that by mid-day the election process in Morocco was going on smoothly and no complaints were recorded. The Morocco News Agency states that the question on everybody's mind remains the ultimate election turnout in Morocco.
Morocco Elections - MNA: King Mohammed IV Meets Expectations of Arab Spring
MOROCCO NEWS AGENCY Rabat, Morocco (PRWEB) November 24, 2011
The MNA supports King Mohammed IV in creating political and economic reforms which provide for greater democracy, human rights and prosperity.
The November 25, 2011, parliamentary elections in Morocco will be the first conducted in accordance with the recently ratified new Constitution. The MNA supports King Mohammed IV in creating political and economic reforms which provide for greater democracy, human rights and prosperity. The editorial staff of the Morocco News Agency's Morocco Elections News division states that Morocco's reforms process has three key phases: Restoration of individual rights, basic human rights including the reversal of constraints imposed during the reign of King Hassan II. Implementing a comprehensive regionalization program. The improvement in economic posture, education and access to media focuses people's attention on localized issues. Given Morocco's diverse population, the key to addressing these concerns has been by providing added powers and authority to councils, municipalities and governorates. National-level Constitutional reforms which are based on giving more powers to political parties, Parliament and the Government. Significantly, the reforms abolish the King's nominated prime minister and power-ministers and replacing them with individuals selected by the winning party or coalition and confirmed by parliament - thus reducing the King's hands-on involvement in governance. In past four years, the implementation of the key facets of the reforms process has been submitted to the public's approval in national and local elections. The overall new political system in Morocco - based on personal freedoms and greater power for the political parties - was implemented via the 2007 parliamentary elections. The regionalization and empowerment of local-level governance were implemented via the 2009 local elections. The Morocco News Agency (MNA) says that the Draft Constitution was overwhelmingly adopted in a national referendum on July 1, 2011. These new constitutional reforms are being implemented via the 2011 parliamentary elections. The Morocco Elections News team says that these changes are taking place under complex circumstances. Moroccan society is undergoing profound changes as a result of domestic developments - mainly improvement in economic posture, better education and access to electronic media - and external inputs: mainly the regional upheaval and blowback from the radicalization of the expatriate community in Western Europe. The transformation and modernization of the Moroccan economy from labor-intensive agriculture-based to industrialization resulted in unprecedented population mobility. This process was expedited by the new national infrastructure which makes travel easy and cheap. Consequently, Morocco has experienced rapid urbanization in response to the growing needs for labor. Given Morocco's conservative, tribal-based social structure, the population movements and accelerated urbanization bred social instability and security challenges. The main reason was the sudden vanishing of the inherent security of tribal society and the emergence of Islamist and other radical lures as substitute and panacea. Meanwhile, the above domestic developments also led to the emergence of a generation of westernized computer-skilled youth. The Morocco Elections News team, comprised of veteran journalists from Morocco who are fluent in Arabic, English and French with great depth in political science and regional public affairs, says that during the past year, leftist radicals in Morocco have been greatly influenced by the impact of electronic social media using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube as ostensibly manifested in the so-called "Arab Spring". All of these issues and trends will manifest themselves in the November 25, 2011 parliamentary elections and are bound to impact the outcome.
GLOBAL POST November 26, 2011
By Jessica Phelan
Islamists claim victory in Morocco polls
The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) has claimed victory in parliamentary elections in Morocco, according to early counts Saturday. Early results show PJD party won the most seats in parliament. Provisional results Saturday showed the moderate PJD party had won 80 out of 395 seats, which would make it the biggest party in parliament and give it the right to lead a government. A moderate Islamist party, the Justice and Development Party [3] (PJD), has claimed victory in parliamentary elections in Morocco. Provisional results Saturday showed the PJD had won 80 out of 395 seats, the BBC reported [4], which would make it the biggest party in parliament and give it the right to lead a government. The figures indicate that the PJD will lead a coalition government with the nationalist Istiqlal party [5] and two others, said Reuters [6]. Istiqlal won 45 seats, making it the second-largest party, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui announced at a press conference. More from GlobalPost: Thousands of protesters continue to demand reform in Morocco [7]
He was speaking when votes had been counted for two-thirds of seats, the Associated Press said [8]. The full count will be announced on Sunday.
With Istiqlal and the two other parties who have said they are willing to join a coalition, the PJD-led bloc will have a total of 170 seats in parliament, just short of a majority. A rival coalition of eight liberal parties with ties to the monarchy has just 112 seats so far.
Reuters describes the PJD as a moderate opposition group:
The party has said it will promote Islamic finance though it will steer clear of imposing a strict moral code on society and is loyal to the monarch. In response to anti-government protests, Morocco adopted a new constitution in July which states that King Mohamed VI [9] must appoint the country's prime minister from the party with the most parliamentary seats. Previously the monarch was free to appoint whomever he chose. The king retains the final say on matters of defense, security and religion, however, the BBC said. Around 45.4% of Morocco's 13.5 million voters took part in the vote, according to the Interior Ministry. Activists with the "February 20 [11]" movement behind the protests earlier this year had called on their supporters to boycott the movement. Spokesperson Najib Chawki told Reuters[12] the low turnout shows that Moroccans are not convinced by the government's proposed reforms. The group has called for fresh protests on December 4.
CBN NEWS
An Islamist party has won the majority of the parliamentary elections in the north African country of Morocco - one of the latest victories by Islamists in the Middle East. The Justice and Development Party took almost twice as many seats as the second place finisher. Political analysts say they won a majority through a combination of good organization and not being too much of a threat to Morocco's all-powerful king. Now the king will have to pick the next prime minister from the ruling party who will then have to form a government representing the dozen parties in Morocco's parliament. Islamist parties have been the biggest winners since the new freedoms brought about by the Arab Spring uprisings. Although the protests in Morocco didn't bring down the government, it did force the king to modify the constitution to give the next parliament and prime minister more power and held early elections.
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 26, 2011
I congratulate the Moroccan people on the successful completion of Friday's parliamentary elections where millions of Moroccans went to the polls to elect their new political leaders. Now, working with King Mohammed VI, the new parliament and civil society can implement the amended constitution as a step toward fulfilling the aspirations and rights of all Moroccans.
The hard work of building democracy does not end when the votes are tallied and the winners announced. As we have seen in so many changes underway across the region, political leaders will be judged not only by what they say, but what they do. The United States stands ready to work with the new parliament and the people of Morocco to strengthen the rule of law, raise human rights standards, promote transparent and accountable governance, and work toward sustained, democratic reform.
It was a great honor to address the "LE 7ème FESTIVAL DE LA CULTURE AMAZIGHE A FES", MOROCCO ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY.
SOUS LE HAUT PATRONAGE DE SA MAJESTE LE ROI MOHAMMED VI LA FONDATION ESPRIT DE FES organise en partenariat avec L'ASSOCIATION FES SAISS, Le CENTRE SUD NORD, La Fondation BMCE et L'UNIVERSITE SIDI MOHAMED BEN ABDELLAH
LE 7ème FESTIVAL DE LA CULTURE AMAZIGHE A FES
DU 15 AU 17 JUILLET 2011
-CONGRES: PALAIS DES CONGRES
-SOIREES ARTISTIQUES : BAB MAKINA, MEDINA ((20 :30)
-FESTIVAL DANS LA VILLE : BAB BOUJLOUD (19 :00)
-EXPOSITIONS : PALAIS DES CONGRES
-PIECE THEATRALE : COMPLEXE AL HOURRIYA
Congrès international sur le thème : "La langue amazighe dans l'éducation et les médias au Maghreb et dans la diaspora"
En Hommage à Monsieur Mohand Laensar
| PROGRAMME |
****Vendredi 15 juillet
16 :00 : Accueil des Participants
16 :15 : Visite des Expositions
16 : 30 : Ouverture du Colloque et du Festival
- Allocution de M le Président de la Fondation Esprit de Fès
- Allocution du M. le Président National de l’Association Fès-Saiss
- Allocution de M. le Président du Conseil de la Ville de Fès
- Allocution de M. le Recteur de l’Institut Royal de la Culture Amazighe
- Allocution de Mme la Présidente de la Fondation BMCE
- Allocution de M. le Président de l’Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah
- Allocution de M. le Directeur du Festival
- Autres Allocutions
17 : 00 – 17 : 30 : Hommage à M. Mohand Laensar
17 : 30 : Allocution de Mohand Laensar
17 : 45 : Réception
18 : 00 - 19 :30
Première Séance : Le patrimoine amazighe et le rôle de l'identité dans le changement social et le développement humain;
Modérateur : Fatima Sadiqi
18 :00 Abderrezak Dourari (Algérie) « Tamazight dans le système éducatif et dans les médias algériens De la stigmatisation à une prise en charge déficiente »
18 :15 Karim Salhi (Algérie) « L’amazighité retrouvée. Ou comment se construit-on une modernité à partir de l’authentique »
18 :30
عبد القادر بن حمادي (الجزائر)
" الحــــــوار الثقــــــافي الامـــــــازيغي
بين هوية النسق اللغوي والمطلب السياسي المتجدد "
****18 :45 Keith Martin (Morocco Consul in Utah, USA)
“The importance of diversity: What I have learned in three different cultures”
19 :00 – 19 :15 Débat
Activités Artistiques
19 :00 Place Bab Boujloud
-Ahwash
-Groupe Tifyur
20 :30 : Place Bab Makina
-Hadda Ouakki
-Chanteuse Daoudia
Samedi 16 juillet
Matinée
Deuxième Séance : Dimension Civilisationnelle de l’Intégration de la Culture Amazighe
Modérateur : Ahmed Boukous
9 : 00 Hemmou Azday (IRCAM) : « La dimension amazighe dans le bassin méditerranéen »
9 : 15 أسمهري المحفوظ (المعهد الملكي للثقافة الأمازيغية) " جوانب من التراث المادي الأمازيغي في تاريخ المغرب القديم"
9 :30 صباح علاش (المعهد الملكي للثقافة الأمازيغية) "دور المرأة في الحفاظ على الثقافة الأمازيغية"
9 :45 Anna Maria DI TOLLA Università degli Studi di Napoli
«Oralité et contes amazighs dans l’éducation au Maroc »
10 :00 Fatsiha Aoumer (Algérie) « La Chanson dans les manuels amazighs algériens »
10 :15– 10 :45 Débat
10 : 45 – 11 : 00 Pause-café
Deuxième Séance : Représentations socioculturelles de l’amazigh dans le système éducatif
Modérateur : El Houssain El Moujahid
11:00 Fatima Agnaou (Institut Royal de la Culture Amazighe, Rabat) :
"l'enseignement de l'amazighe: acquis et contraintes"
11 :15
أحمد المنادي (المعهد الملكي للثقافة الأمازيغية) "الأدب الأمازيغي بالجامعة المغربية : عوائق وآفاق"
11 :30 Guerchouh Lydia (Algérie) « Impact des langues secondes sur l’apprentissage de la langue kabyle »
11 :45 Ahmed Bououd (Université Ibn Tofail, Kénitra)
« La grammaticographie et l’élaboration d’une grammaire en ligne de L’Amazighe »
12 :00
عبد السلام خلفي (المعهد الملكي للثقافة الأمازيغية) تحديات التدبير المؤسساتي للشأن الأمازيغي : حالة تعليم اللغة الأمازيغية"
12 :00- 12 :30 Débat
Après-midi
Troisième Séance : L’enseignement de la langue amazighe au Maghreb et dans la diaspora
Modérateur : Tassadi Yacine
15:30
محمد جلاوي (الجزائر) تجربة تدريس الأمازيغية بالمعاهد الجامعية
15 :45 Abdelâali Talmenssour (Université Ibn Zohr, Agadir)
« L’expérience de l’enseignement de la langue et la culture amazighes à l’Université Ibn Zohr, Agadir »
16 :00 Boukherrouf Ramdane (Université Mouloud Mammeri de Tizi Ouzou)
« L’apport du département de langue et culture amazigh de Tizi Ouzou »
16 :00 -16 :30 Débat
16 :30 - 16 :45 Pausé café
Troisième Séance : L’amazigh dans le système éducatif et les médias
Modératrice : Rachid Raha
16:45 Jilali Saib (Université Mohamed V, Rabat) "L'intégration de la langue amazighe dans les médias audiovisuels au Maroc: quelle intégration et quel amazighe?"
17 :00 Ouahmi Ould-Brahim (France)
« La chanson berbère dans l’immigration en France »
17 :15 Fatima Sadiqi (Institut International des Langues et Cultures, Fès)
« La langue amazighe et les nouveaux médias »
17 :30 Tassadit Yacine (Algérie) « La langue-identité des émigrés algériens (des années cinquante).
17 :45 – 18 :15 Débat
15 :00 -18 :15
Salle 2
Séance Parallèle : Atelier d’écriture par Jean-Marie Simon
"Rendez-vous à Tendrara": Vie et mort d'un livre
Modérateur : Fouâd Saa
Activités Artistiques
19 :00 Place Bab Boujloud
- Daq Sif
- Mayara Band
20 :30 : Place Bab Makina
-Ahidous Maestro
-Groupe Ferroudja Saidia
-Chanteuse Tachinwit
Dimanche 17 juillet
Matinée
Cinquième Séance : L’amazighe dans les médias au Maghreb
Modérateur : Jilali Saib
9 :00 : Amina Bencheikh (Le Monde Amazigh)
« Dix années d’expérience du journal mensuel "Le Monde Amazigh" »
9 : 15 : Mostapha El-Adak (Université Mohamed I, Oujda)
Le Journal Sportif en Amazigh
9 :30 Rachid Raha (le Monde Amazigh)
Comment la presse marocaine traite la question amazighe ?
9 :45 Moussa Imarazene (Algérie)
Tamazight dans l’enseignement et les médias algériens
10:00 Brahim Baouche (La chaîne TV Tamazight)
« L’expérience de la chaîne athamina »
10 :15
إبراهيم الحسناوي ) المعهد الملكي للثقافة الأمازيغية) "الأمازيغية في الحقل السمعي البصري بالمغرب : أي مؤشرات للتعدد والاختلاف؟"
10 :30 - 11 :00 Débat
11 :00 – 11 :15: Pause-café
11 :15 -12 :00
Lecture de Poésie
Modérateur : Hassan Hjjij
Poètes
-Omar Taous
-Moulay Ahmed Damou
-Hddou Khoursa
-Ait Larbi Moulay Elghali
-Oubella Med Souiri
12 :00– 12 :30
Contes de Jean-Marie Simon (Allumeur d’Histoires, France)
« Un chemin de paix à travers l’expérience vécue de l’hospitalité marocaine :
L’histoire du restaurant d’Errachidia »
Modérateur : Mohamed Moubtassime
12 :30 Clôture
Activités Artistiques
19 :00 Place Bab Boujloud
Ribab Fusion
Ithran Al Houceima
20 :30 : Place Bab Makina
Mohammed Mellal
Chanteur Mohamed Rouicha
Expositions au Palais des Congrès : Livrres, Tapis amazighs, Artisanat, œuvres d’art
