Report targets Moroccan elections, political parties

2007-01-31

An independent report levels numerous criticisms against Morocco's political parties and election procedures, though the country offers the region's most democratic conditions.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 31/01/07

[Sarah Touahri] The report stressed that the Moroccan Parliament is not working as it should.

Moroccan political parties reacted coolly to the conclusions of a report released to the public last week by Transparency Maroc and Democracy Reporting International (DRI), concerning the organisational framework for elections in Morocco.

The report -- which was released to the government on January 19th, and to the public on January 24th -- describes the parties as rigid and organisationally weak, a weakness reflected in their "fragmented parliamentary representation, lack of organisation, and lack of credibility with the public". With the exception of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), the report criticises the parties for their "inability to conceive of or maintain significant political programs; ones able to guide the Parliament in the full use of its powers," a conclusion that sparked the discontent of many politicians, as they prepare for parliamentary elections in September.

"Istiqlal is not weak at the organisational level, because it has offices in all urban and rural areas. What is more, it regularly organises meetings at local, regional and national levels. It is also represented in most professional associations. So the report's findings are unfounded," Hassan Abdelkhalek, a member of the executive committee of the Istaqlal Party said.

Khalid Naciri, a member of the political bureau of the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS), noted that the report contains information that is accurate, but superficial. "In several cases, [the report] does not give detailed enough explanations of its conclusions. For example, it stresses that the parties are not keeping up with events and are out of touch with society. And yet, most of the parties try to be democratic."

Prime Minister Driss Jettou voiced some doubts concerning the recommendations made in the report. He said that the political parties are working as they should and are participating in the creation of legislation, contrary to what is said in the report.

Democracy Reporting International co-ordinator Michael Mayer-Resende said Morocco offers the best conditions for democratic elections in the region. The nation benefits from a stable political system, a suitable institutional framework and lower geopolitical pressures than in other Arab countries. He said that even though Morocco's regulatory framework allows democratic elections, there is still a need to increase the transparency of the election process.

Transparency Maroc Secretary-General Azzedine Aksby said the report makes many recommendations. "Without a strong parliament exercising its true attributions, and without reorganisation of the political parties, the general framework will not change," he said.

The report proposes conducting a statistical study to examine the reliability of voter rolls and to identify weaknesses in the registration procedure, which may preclude participation from certain social groups.

Transparency Maroc and DRI also advocate extending the length of the campaign process. "It can be difficult for candidates who have few resources to campaign effectively within the limits set by the law, particularly in rural areas which are hard to reach. In addition, the brevity of the campaign is bound to have an impact on the management of media access," said Michel Paternotre of DRI.

However, the report views Morocco's voting procedures favourably. To encourage greater participation, it is recommended that election day be declared a public holiday. This would avoid problems of overcrowding when polling stations close.