Morocco # English board

In his father's shadow

Apr 6th 2006 | CASABLANCA AND RABAT
From The Economist print edition
Morocco's faltering transition to democracy under King Mohammed VI



FOR visitors to Morocco's twin capitals—one political, the other economic—it is hard not to think that they represent the exception to the political decrepitude that seems to plague the Arab world. The bright mimosas and bougainvilleas of Rabat and the bustling business centre of Casablanca form a striking contrast with the dreary shabbiness and laissez-aller encountered elsewhere in the region. So does the political atmosphere: where else do truth and reconciliation commissions discuss torture cases on public television, or newspapers publish critiques of a head of state along with details of his private finances, or women live (at least on paper) under a more progressive family law?

“Morocco is advancing at a slow pace, but it will get there in time,” says one Western diplomat. “It's a model for reform—the best we have in a bad neighbourhood.”

For most Moroccans though, the point of reference is not Algeria's brutal military oligarchy or Tunisia's police state. It is not even “les années de plomb” (the years of lead) of the 1970s and 80s when political repression in Morocco was at its fiercest. Rather, it is the expectation of democratic transition first promised by the late king, Hassan II, in the early 1990s and reinforced by Mohammed VI's accession to the throne in 1999. But, despite some important milestones, Moroccans remain dissatisfied. For some, the country is democratising too fast, straight into the hands of Islamists eager to impose a reactionary moral order. For others, a cabal of former royal schoolmates in key public posts is simply exploiting Morocco's slowly liberalising economy for their own ends.

The harshest critics say that the reform process is a lure—a distraction from the fact that power is still concentrated in the hands of one man and abused by a coterie of technocratic yes-men. “They swindled us,” laments Abou Bakr Jamai, editor-in-chief of Morocco's most irreverent magazine, Le Journal Hebdomadaire: “Mohammed VI had enormous political capital when he began. But he squandered it.”

In February, Mr Jamai was sentenced to pay the largest fine ever imposed in a Moroccan libel case after he alleged that the government had paid a Brussels think-tank to produce a pro-Moroccan report on the Western Sahara conflict. Another French-language weekly, TelQuel, was likewise sued for libel—twice—and given disproportionate fines shortly after publishing articles critical of the monarchy, though the matters were officially unrelated. The Moroccan judiciary is notoriously subservient to the crown.

The most egregious example of this judicial revanchisme is the case against Nadia Yassine, daughter of the leader of a banned Islamist group, Adl Wal Ihsane (Justice and Charity). She is on trial for insulting the monarchy after making an off-the-cuff comment to a magazine asserting that Moroccans “would not die if we didn't have a king”. The media-savvy Ms Yassine is now using the trial to publicise her fierce criticism of the regime, denouncing its “superficial democratic reforms” and advocating her Sufi-inspired brand of Islam “as an antidote to violence”. She is demanding the abolition of Article 19 of the constitution enshrining the king's role as Commander of the Faithful.

Ahmed Benchemsi, TelQuel's editor-in-chief, is more sanguine about the considerable reforms achieved, seeing the occasional backlash as par for the course. But he remains worried. “The monarchy doesn't understand that it needs to democratise for its own sake,” he says: “The status quo is not sustainable.” Moroccans feel frustrated. The high hopes they had in the new “king of the poor” have not materialised. Despite progress, Morocco is still an absolute monarchy where dire poverty coexists alongside lavish wealth. An average growth rate of around 5% over the past five years has done little to create jobs or alleviate the plight of the poorest.

Almost daily, unemployed graduates protest in front of parliament to demand government jobs which, although low paid, are at least secure. In December, several students set themselves on fire, screaming “a civil-service job or death”. None actually died, but many were badly burned. A failing education system does little to prepare Moroccans for life in the private sector. A landmark education law, aimed at remedying the situation, was passed in 2000. But it has never been implemented. The opposition from teachers' unions and other entrenched interests was too strong. Politicians are generally seen as either unwilling or unable to carry out reforms without the king leading the way.

Even the current favourite to win next year's parliamentary elections, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), plays by the rules of ba'ya, the traditional pledge of allegiance to the monarchy. So far, the party has offered few new ideas to distinguish itself in the political field. Its most innovative contribution to the economic debate has been to suggest that Morocco specialise in tourism and retirement homes for European pensioners rather than seeking to attract young (and morally lax) travellers.

A similar lack of imagination marks the intractable dispute over the Western Sahara. Reformists have long argued that a large degree of autonomy for the region within a more decentralised and democratic Morocco would give the government a powerful argument against Sahrawi secessionists and their growing number of international supporters. Ahead of this month's UN deadline for the resumption of the stalled peace process, the king asked all political parties for their views on how to solve the conflict. Predictably, they reiterated the king's own vague ideas for limited regional autonomy. Even on such a crucial question, all eyes look to the king, either to assign blame or to provide an impetus for change.

By keeping most of the levers of power in his hands, King Mohammed has perpetuated the emasculation of the body politic established by his father. The king, and not the government, controls the ministries of defence, foreign affairs and the interior as well as countless commissions and authorities. He is the country's most important farmer, biggest banker and most active venture capitalist. Most of the innovative ideas over the past few years—the Equity and Reconciliation Commission's investigation into human-rights abuses under King Hassan, an ambitious human-development initiative designed to eradicate poverty, a report marking last month's 50th anniversary of Moroccan independence that offered an unprecedented independent critique of government policy —have been royal projects.

In countless public buildings, cafés and shops, gold-framed portraits of King Hassan still dwarf those of the present monarch. In the 1990s, Moroccans eagerly awaited Mohammed's accession, hoping he would usher in a real transition to democracy, as had Spain's King Juan Carlos, just across the straits of Gibraltar, two decades earlier. Morocco has no blueprint for its transition. The king is a notoriously bad communicator, granting few interviews and seeming ill at ease when delivering royal speeches. A Juan Carlos may have been a bit too much to expect, but Moroccans would at least like a clear a vision of future governance—if only to know where they stand.

source:[www.economist.com]

salam alximo,

It´s an interesting analysis. I guess that it shows that Moroccans are still not 100% ready to carry the torch further, since everybody is always waiting for the king to come with an initiative or proposal to every delicate issue in the country. Democracy means also responsability and independance of . Moroccans needs to get used to political decisions coming out of the house of the parliament instead of the royal palace.
The royal palace should be left in peace and out of political decisions. The only thing the royal palace should decide is how to run it´s own internal matters, besides signing and accepting new laws taken by the majority in the parliament. That requires political leadres other that the king, who are also capable of challenging the political scene in the country. And coming with a political programme for all issues concerning the country.
Moroccans needs to stop considering the king as a political leader if they want true democracy. A political leader needs to be voted, by the people and has to be able to really run the country without any doubts. He has to have a clear policy and doesn´t necessarily have to agree with the king on foreign policy matters. Which means someone who shows capability to carry a policy that would get the country out of it´s crises. It doesn´t help to wait for the king´s move everytime because of insecurity and luck of independance in taking decisions.
It´s very important that the king is the symbol of the kingdom, but not a political leader. The question is who is this political leader who can do that? And what program does he have?

cali

Hi every one,

Quote
cali
salam alximo,

It´s an interesting analysis. I guess that it shows that Moroccans are still not 100% ready to carry the torch further, since everybody is always waiting for the king to come with an initiative or proposal to every delicate issue in the country. Democracy means also responsability and independance of . Moroccans needs to get used to political decisions coming out of the house of the parliament instead of the royal palace.
The royal palace should be left in peace and out of political decisions. The only thing the royal palace should decide is how to run it´s own internal matters, besides signing and accepting new laws taken by the majority in the parliament. That requires political leadres other that the king, who are also capable of challenging the political scene in the country. And coming with a political programme for all issues concerning the country.
Moroccans needs to stop considering the king as a political leader if they want true democracy. A political leader needs to be voted, by the people and has to be able to really run the country without any doubts. He has to have a clear policy and doesn´t necessarily have to agree with the king on foreign policy matters. Which means someone who shows capability to carry a policy that would get the country out of it´s crises. It doesn´t help to wait for the king´s move everytime because of insecurity and luck of independance in taking decisions.
It´s very important that the king is the symbol of the kingdom, but not a political leader. The question is who is this political leader who can do that? And what program does he have?

cali

do you mean Morocco should become a republic with an absolute constitutional monarchy is that right? The question is : in an Arabic country taking the power from the king and voting a president does it really mean democratising the country?..... I’m not sure….

morocco is a 100% democration country! morocco is more democratic than many european country...

i live abroad

I agree i think the king has too much power. He should deligate some of the power to other branches
of the gouvernement. While everyone should have all the respect for his majesty, no one should kiss
his hand. It looks very bad on TV for other people. Ministers and gouvernement officials should be
able to speak their mind. The benefit of the country comes first and should be put above everything
else.

Moroccans are expecting too much, too soon, he's only been here for 7 years if memory serves. We've all seen first hand while on vacation the progress, we need to remember where we came from, dissent was only whispered, anything else would land you in prison or worse. True there is so much more to do but what I've noticed is that everytime the leash was loosened, given the lack of political maturity, it opened a boulevard to the islamists who point to the right problems but offer no solutions except a return to medieval times. I think the monarchy should finance FULL BLAST the education sector, alphabetize the country fully then you'll have a mature audience for the radical reforms demanded. All and all, I'd say Morocco is moving in the right direction, newspapers like telquel or lejournalhebdo would have been unthinkable under the previous monarch, so I say he's done ok in 7 years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2006 03:33 by chelhman.

Quote
faridios
morocco is a 100% democration country! morocco is more democratic than many european country...

i live abroad

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

do you have more jokes like this?

Quote
ted

Quote
faridios
morocco is a 100% democration country! morocco is more democratic than many european country...

i live abroad

hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
do you have more jokes like this?

I actually agree with what chelhman said, Education first, nothing else will bring real change.
well said chelhman
Almot

I also agree with chelhman...

Everytime something goes wrong people turn to the king expecting him to solve it. The king can't do everything for us, it's time to take decisions for our self.

The most important thing is that morocco is changing in a good way since he's a king. I respect him very much for what's he's doing so: "3asha elmalik"

reda

Hi,

as all of you I have a lot of respect for what the new king is doing …all positives changes in the country are good sing …however obviously only we (Moroccan based outside the country) are able to see those changes …when I talk to the people in the country they are still complaining ....high unemployment, poverty, all social problems haven’t improved and above all lack on perspectives for young people…in fact for them there have been no changes until now….are we able to notice this improvement only because we are not involved in the daily life there? …this is the question?...

Well...I don't know wich people you are talking to, but the friends I asked are very pleased. The problem of the Unempolyment like you said is that young people don't even do their best to finish their school. Instead they say: "Aaah...what the hell. Other people have finished their school and don't have a work. So why should I even bother?" Friends of mine who finished school are all employees now and satisfied with their work.

And one more thing: The king can't do everything himself like I said. He can't change what has been there for 40 years in 7 years. But he's doing his best at least...

mw

Ilhem2 said :
"as all of you I have a lot of respect for what the new king is doing …all positives changes in the country are good sing …however obviously only we (Moroccan based outside the country) are able to see those changes …when I talk to the people in the country they are still complaining ....high unemployment, poverty, all social problems haven’t improved and above all lack on perspectives for young people…in fact for them there have been no changes until now….are we able to notice this improvement only because we are not involved in the daily life there? …this is the question?..."


You're right on matters on unemployment for non-skilled workers, that's where education is crucial. However, it is a disease affecting europe as well, an economy requires vision, you create the adequat environment and provide the market with skilled workers, Finland is an excellent example. They have a symbiotic relationship between the market and the education system.
Moroccans have a bad habit inherited from the feudal system : when something goes wrong, they turn to the king or the public sector in general. Self-governing, self-educating, self-anything for that matter, is not in the vocabulary. There is no silver bullet here, this is going to require time and maybe, we, outside the country can help, we are the best of both worlds, we've kept some traditions from the homeland but are hardwired to think outside the boundaries of those same traditions because of our european, american or asian education. Something to think about.
In terms of freedom of expression, M6 has done wonders compared to the darkness we've been in, for the last 50 years. But, freedom of expression without maturity is like handing a gun to a 5 year old.
Moroccans are like dungeon prisoners suddenly released, you give them light at a rate they can absorb or you end up blinding them and the islamists are at the gate whispering into their ears.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/2006 03:36 by chelhman.

You can put great laws, have excellent economique strategies etc... Nothing works if we don't have
good professional ethics. The biggest problem that the country has always had is bad gouvernence.
Bribery,"Lujhiatt"squandering of public money has always been the biggest flaws of the system. What
have we done to stop that?. One of the pillars of democracy is transparency. What have we done to
improve that?. I have not been back home for 2 years. Last time i was there, i needed to take care
of some business, so i had to get some documents from some gouvernement agencies. I had to bribe
somebody for every document i needed. Granted when i lived there i had more time to get my documents
without paying anybody off. Last time i only had 2 weeks to spend in Morocco. How are things now?.
Are things getting better in this regard?. If they are, then we are on to something if theese activities
are still the same and nothing is being done about it, then nothing has changed from 50 years ago.
Everyone defines democracy from his own window. Big business sees democracy from the point of open
borders and free trade agreements and good banking system. My view of democracy as a private citizen is security, good administration, good public education, clean street and good healthcare system. That's what touches my life so that's what democracy to me is.

I'm afraid in that regard, things are still the same. You still need to shake hands with a folded bill in the palm of your hand to get any document. Except for us MREs, as we are so colourfully called. The orders from the top are "don't screw with them at the customs check in", "do not fine them even if they speed on the roads"...etc
Which is understandable, given the 3.8 billion euros, we collectively brought in last year.
They established a universal health care system but it's still rudimentary, security is not that good or maybe the papers are reporting more incidents, I'm not sure.
Education is good if you have some money, but if you have a lot of money, there are now private schools competing with Lyautey for those who are familiar with Casablanca.
As for the streets, it's getting better since SITA (french company) took over.
But again 7 years, it's only been 7 years, fellows...

hi,


Dear chelhman,

I agree that life’s improvement in our country is the duty of many parts …everyone has to do something for it not only the king or the government …the people…we outside the country …the problem is when you talk to the people there they said they want to do something…many things but how?...they don’t have the opportunity…if you’re borne in a modest or poor family that affects your whole life from the begin until the end …your health, your mentality, your behaviour, your life’s style , your skills and your education…by the way to have the skills to get good job as you’ve mentioned you have to pay for it ” les ecoles privees de gestions, d’information, de management …ect ” who’s got the many for that…or to go overseas for studying…..again not many can afford it …that’s the reason why people believe the help should be coming from the government to push the whole thing…the real support can be only from the government and the king cause they’ve got the power and the money … somehow I agree because having everything where we live we almost forget that the reality is quite different up there………

Obviously the country has made a lot of progress. Just us sitting here and talking like this is unthinkable in the previous monarchy. Yet, we need to do more. Good citizens have to be demanding.
We have got to demand more out of ourselves and out of our leaders.
I really like our king, i like a lot of the new ministers and high officials of the gouvernement, but
that does not mean that we should be satisfied of what has been done so far.

Dear Ilhem,

Believe me, I do know what you're talking about when you mention people with no skills coming from a modest background. Some of them end up dead on a beach in Nador or anywhere upnorth because they thought Europe was their salvation. Like I said, funding education fully from cradle to university is the key.
Where I differ is the subject of the topic (faltering transition), I simply think it's unfair to expect so much in so little time. Reforms take at least a generation, for instance you have to cleanse whole departments in the administration, you can bring in new blood but if the old bureaucrats are still pulling the strings, nothing will change. So you have to wait them out, since most of the time, firing them is not a option.
But I understand the despair, how can you tell someone aged 20/25 : "tough luck ! you're gonna have to wait another generation, here's a free cellphone and some sunglasses in the meantime". Because that's pretty much what the new economy is offering right now : the illusion of prosperity.
What is being built now, what we see when we go there, is not going to produce significant results for at least another 5 to 7 years.
What terrifies me, is the possibility that the despair could be exploited in the next elections, and everything we hope for, will be wiped away.
As for us outside, there are things we can do, besides the obvious (investing...), we can pass on what we've learnt here. I know I do, I debate with my cousins about democracy, politics... Historically that's how things change, travellers used to come back from their journeys with new ideas, new concepts.
Let's stay hopeful, we'll get there.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2006 05:15 by chelhman.

I totally agree with you chelhman.....