Parliamentary elections - September 2007
Electoral law and regulation give the MOI authority over the general operation of elections--from drawing the electoral districts to counting the votes. In March 2007 MOI redrew electoral districts to give more seats to less populated areas and dilute urban votes. The number of voters represented by each member of parliament varied significantly due to the manner in which the electoral districts were drawn. Redistricting took place before the 2009 local government elections.
Between March and September 2007 a combined MOJ/MOI commission received 1,260 allegations of pre-electoral malfeasance. The majority of complaints related to "premature" campaigning and, to a lesser extent, the inappropriate use of money, unlawful attempts to influence voting by government agents, and election or campaign violence. Seven cases related to registration fraud. Of the allegations received, the commission referred 53 cases for trial or judicial action. Most of the defendants were released on bail and were still awaiting court dates.
Parliamentary elections were held in September 2007 and were regarded by international observers to be free and fair. However, voter turnout was disappointing, with only 37% of registered voters casting ballots. Abbas El Fassi of the winning Istiqlal Party was appointed to be Prime Minister by the King. The Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) won the popular vote, but came in second behind Istiqlal in the number of parliamentary seats. El Fassi formed a government based on a minority coalition composed of the Istiqlal, the leftist USFP and PPS, and the centrist RNI. A special election to fill eight seats in Morocco's lower house of parliament was held in September 2008.
In the September 2007 legislative elections, the king mandated the royally chartered and appointed CCDH to supervise and facilitate the work of domestic and international observers, leading to the most transparent election in the country's history. The final counting was accepted by all political parties as accurate and certified by the MOI as legitimate.
Observers praised the government, including the MOI, for the professional administration of the September 2007 balloting. They attributed the low voter participation rate and high protest vote to weak parties and a parliament that has little vested power. Observers criticized preelection vote buying by parties and some instances of official misconduct at the district level. Domestic observers did not receive accreditation to observe the process until the eve of the election. All reports recommended the creation of an independent electoral commission.
The September 2007 parliamentary elections resulted in the selection of 34 women out 325 total parliamentary seats--a decline of one seat from the previous term. Thirty of the 34 new female representatives were elected from a national list reserved for female candidates. In contrast, Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi's new 33-member government included five women ministers and two women secretaries of state, compared with two in the previous government. Women occupy other key leadership slots, such as mayor of Essaouira and governor of a district in Casablanca. There were no female members of the Supreme Court.
Morocco's monarchy began pursing democratic reforms in 2011 in a bid to head off the Arab Spring-style protests that have gripped much of the region. Moroccans overwhelming voted to adopt constitutional reforms that would curb the king's powers. But critics say the new constitution still keeps King Mohammed firmly in power by allowing him to choose the prime minister from the winning party, and by letting him oversee the country's religious matters, security apparatus and judiciary.
Anti-government activists in Morocco marched to demand political reforms limiting the power of King Mohammed - the latest in a series of such protests in the Arab world. At least 2,000 people rallied in the capital, Rabat, Sunday, 20 February 2011. Organizers say they want democratic reforms to a constitution that gives King Mohammed sweeping powers, including the right to appoint the prime minister. But, the protesters made no direct criticisms of the king, who has earned a reputation as a reformist since ascending to the throne in 1999. The Moroccan government has portrayed the new protest movement as a sign of the country's political openness.
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