Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament. King Mohammed VI of Morocco, with vast executive powers, can dissolve government, deploy the military, presides over the Council of Ministers and appoints the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. Apart from being the political leader of Morocco, he is also the ‘Commander of the faithful,’ the country’s religious leader. Opposition political parties are legal, and several have been formed in recent years. The constitution allows for the King to dissolve parliament, suspend the constitution and rule by decree, but this hasn’t happened since 1961.
Parliament’s powers were expanded under constitutional reforms of 1992 and 1996 and now include budgettary matters, approving bills and questioning ministers. The lower house of parliament can dissolve the government through a vote of no confidence.[1] The Supreme Court judges are appointed by the King. The previous government continued to reform the judicial branch to make it more impartial and independent.
Parliamentary elections, which were held last September, will lead to a new government likely to be dominated by the secular, nationalist Parti Istiqlal. This will not result in major policy changes, as seats in Parliament are divided by a large number of parties and the Parliament’s powers are still limited. The turnout of 37% was the lowest in Morocco’s history. A possible reason for the political apathay is the perceived powerlessness of the Parliament, as real power resides with the King.[2]
The greatest challenge to the government is the ongoing risk of suicide bombings by militant islamist groups, as illustrated by a number of bombings in the first half of 2007. Although the government is committed to pushing ahead with a programme of economic reform aimed at boosting employment and addressing infrastructure issues, notably in housing, progress will be slow, reflecting the high level of bureaucracy, financial constraints and the structural weaknesses of the economy. There will be no serious challenges to the rule of King Mohammed VI, and the general political outlook is stable.[3]
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Morocco
[2] The Economist, “Morocco’s Poor Show,” September 11, 2007
[3] http://www.economist.com/countries/Morocco/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-Forecast
| Population | 33,757,175 (July 2007 est.) |
| Ethnic groups | Arab-Berber 99.1%, other 0.7%, Jewish 0.2% |
| Religions | Muslim 98.7%, Christian 1.1%, Jewish 0.2% |
| Capital | Rabat |
| Languages
|
Arabic (official), Berber dialects, French often the language of business, government, and diplomacy |
| GDP (PPP) | $152.5 billion (2006 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,600 (2006 est.) |
| Exports
|
clothing, fish, inorganic chemicals, transistors, crude minerals, fertilizers (including phosphates), petroleum products, fruits, vegetables |
| Imports
|
crude petroleum, textile fabric, telecommunications equipment, wheat, gas and electricity, transistors, plastics |
| Unemployment | 7.7% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 19% (2005 est.) |
September 7th, 2007 Parliamentary elections results
| Party | % | Seats |
| Party Istiqlal (Independence Party) | 10.7 | 52 |
| Justice and Development Party | 10.9 | 46 |
| People’s Mouvement | 9.3 | 41 |
| National Rally of Independents | 9.7 | 39 |
| Socialist Union of People’s Forces | 8.9 | 38 |
| Constitutional Union | 7.3 | 27 |
| Party of Progress and Socialism | 5.4 | 17 |
| National Democratic party (part of Al Ahd) | 1.2 | 3 |
| Other | 36.6 | 60 |
Source: www.wikipedia.org and CIA World Factbook
