wardasahra:

Morocco’s main independent human rights group demanded a judicial investigation into what it said were serious violations that affected the outcome of a July 1 referendum on constitutional reforms.

King Mohammed is expected to hand over some of his powers to elected officials under the new charter while retaining a key say over strategic decisions.

The government said nearly 100 percent of those who voted in the referendum approved the changes. 

Khadija Ryadi, who heads the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH), said that in the absence of international observers, the vote “witnessed serious violations … throughout the referendum process”.

“We have material evidence those violations … did impact the credibility and the validity of the results that were announced,” Ryadi said at a press conference presenting AMDH’s report for 2010 and the first half of 2011.

Authorities used mosque preachers and religious schools and monasteries to urge worshippers to vote in favour of the reform crafted by the palace in what Ryadi called a “horrible exploitation” of religion. 

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(via charquaouia-deactivated20120116)

wardasahra:

Yet another overly hopeful article about the new Constitution! Not a single mention of the protests on Sunday where democracy activists were met with stones, eggs, and other violent attacks by royalists. 

Thus Morocco achieved all of the goals of the protests of the so-called Arab Spring without bloodshed or instability

Except for the hundreds of injuries ever since February 20 when peaceful protesters were met with the truncheon of riot police and the death of Kamal Aamari.

These people who are so enthusiastic of the new Constitution have little to no background knowledge on Moroccan politics. If they just take the time to read the current Constitution ratified in 1996, one would be under the impression that it’s even better than the American Constitution. It’s all fluff and over half of it is not even implemented. Like the part about being committed to African unity, determination to abide by human rights, being a democratic constitutional monarchy, sovereignty belonging to the People, freedom of expression it all its forms, opportunities for public office being open to everyone in the public, citizens having equal rights in seeking education and employment…I could honestly go on and on. I can sit here and provide clear examples on all those clauses being broken in everyday life in Morocco even with them being written in black and white in the Constitution. 

The truth of the matter is that the process through which the new Constitution was drafted was not democratic in any sense. The few changes that are present in the new Constitution demonstrate liberalization, not democratization—and there is a big difference between the two. Nationalizing the Amazigh language is not a step towards democracy. The prime minister being chosen because his party won the majority of the seats in Parliament is no different than when the King chose the prime minister based on the strongest party (or the party that aligned themselves the most with the monarchy). The judicial system being an independent body is no different than when it was under the umbrella of the monarchy because the King still sits at the top of the High Council. Recognizing Jews in the Constitution does not change the fact that Jews already benefit from ample rights in the Moroccan system, just look at Andre Azoulay and the King giving two Wissam al-Arch’s to Jews. 

The truth of the matter is, the King still rules supreme in Morocco. His power remains unchecked. He is still inviolable and speaking against him is still a punishable offense. There are still human rights violations throughout the Kingdom. Morocco is still sustaining its illegal occupation against the Western Sahara. Illiteracy will remain the looming social plague of the country. The royal family is still heavily invested in the private sector. State officials will continue to prop up their family members in high positions, giving no chances to people who are far more qualified. Political parties will continue to sell votes in rural areas where people would prefer $10 in the place of hearing why a politician is competent enough to earn a seat in Parliament. Gentrification will continue to do more long-term harm then good when shanty-towns are replaced with poorly constructed apartment buildings that collapse just months after construction creating a cycle of poverty. Morocco’s GDP will continue to be dominated by the drug market. Sex tourism will continue to be the top export to the Gulf and Europe. 

The new Constitution will do nothing to solve those problems. The government does not want to solve those problems because they benefit from them. Each and every single one. The real change Morocco needs is from the bottom of society, not from the top. 

(via charquaouia-deactivated20120116)

Thousands marched through Morocco’s largest city on Sunday calling for greater democracy and an end to corruption even as the king prepares to unveil new constitutional amendments to address calls for reform.

There was only a light police presence blocking off traffic as about 6,000 protesters flowed through the wide streets of downtown Casablanca chanting slogans against the government. Past demonstrations had been violently dispersed.

The march showed the continuing viability of the February 20 pro-democracy movement, even as the king’s own constitutional reform process seeks to co-opt many of their demands.

“In Morocco we learned something, never trust the Makhzen,” said demonstrator Kamel Reda, referring to the government and the king’s advisers. “We don’t believe them out of experience.”

Unlike the popular uprisings sweeping other Arab countries, Morocco’s activists are not calling for the king’s ouster, just a limiting of his powers and changing the country into a constitutional monarchy.

On March 9, the king acknowledged protester demands and ordered a panel of experts to modify the constitution to limit his powers, strengthen the judiciary and promote greater democracy.

The February 20 movement expressed skepticism at the process, noting that the king had appointed the constitutional committee and so the activists refused to participate in the process.

On Friday, the king was presented the new constitution and it was shown to political party leaders. Though its contents have not been made public, media accounts suggest many of its provisions meet protesters’ demands.

But Sunday’s demonstrators remained deeply skeptical of the new constitution because of the way it had been drawn up, and many of the slogans chanted called for greater popular input into reform.

Jihad Oufaraji, a 34-year-old activist, said that while he had heard the new constitution had some good elements to it, there was still the whole overarching power structure that had to be changed.

“We need to clean up the country of the thieves and take back the money they are sending out of the country,” he said as marchers chanted behind him.

Many protesters carried pictures of Kamal Amari, a 30-year-old member of the February 20 movement who died in a hospital on June 2 after allegedly being beaten by police at a protest a few days earlier in the city of Safi, south of Casablanca.

The official coroner’s report maintains he died from heart and respiratory troubles from a pre-existing condition — something his parents deny. Pictures of a bruised face bearing the slogan “we are all Kamal Amari” were everywhere in the march.

A similar slogan was used after the death at police hands in Egypt of young businessman Khaled Said, which helped spark the popular uprising that a few months later brought down the president.

Since Amari’s death, Moroccan police have refrained from violently dispersing demonstrations as had been their earlier policy.

(via charquaouia-deactivated20120116)