KINGDOM OF MOROCCO

Official name: Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah (Kingdom of Morocco)
Location: North Africa
International organisations: African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Arab League, Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, Organisation of Islamic Conference, United Nations, World Trade Organisation (Morocco is not a member of the African Union because the Union recognises Western Sahara as an independent state)
Borders: Algeria, Spain (Western Sahara has a border with Mauretania)
Coastline: North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea
Land area: 446,550 Km2 (712,500 Km2 including Western Sahara)
Population: 32,000,000 (32,500,000 including Western Sahara)
Ethnicity: Virtually all Moroccans are of mixed Berber and Arab descent. There is a small European minority.
Languages: Standard Arabic is the official language and is nearly universally understood. Most Moroccans speak a distinct local dialect. Many also speak Berber languages. French is widely used in business and communications.
Religion: Islam is the state religion and 98% of the population are Sunni Moslems. There are small Christian and Jewish minorities.
Form of government: Formally, a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. In practice, the King continues to play a guiding role in government and politics. Morocco (including Western Sahara) is divided into 16 provinces.
Capital: Rabat
Constitution: The Moroccan Constitution dates from 10 March 1972, but was revised in 1992 and 1996.
Head of state: King Mohammed VI came to the throne on 23 July 1999.
Head of government: The Prime Minister, appointed by the King. In theory the Prime Minister is accountable to the legislature but in practice he is accountable to the King.

Legislature: Morocco has a bicameral legislature. The Assembly of Representatives (Majlis al-Nuwab) has 325 members elected for six-year terms, of whom 295 are elected from multi-member constituencies and 30 are women elected from national lists. (This Website is offline.) The Assembly of Councillors (Majlis al-Mustasharin) has 270 members, elected for nine-year terms, representing local councils and professional and social organisations.
Electoral authority: Moroccan elections are conducted by the government.
Freedom House 2009 rating: Political Rights 5, Civil Liberties 4

Political history

Morocco became an independent Arab Sultanate in the 8th century. The Alaoui dynasty, which claims descent from the Prophet Mohammed, has ruled since the 17th century. Despite efforts at modernisation in the 19th century, Morocco was placed under a French protectorate in 1912, with a zone in the north allocated to Spain. After World War II Morocco was promised independence but this was not achieved until 1956, after a long struggle which saw the Sultan Mohammed V deported to Madagascar. In 1957 the restored Sultan restyled himself as a King. The King is a religious as well as a political leader, holding the title Amir Al-Muminin (Commander of the Faithful).

In 1961 Mohammed V was succeeded by Hassan II, who promulgated a new constitution. Royal absolutism was ended and the first Moroccan parliament was elected in 1963. But the facade of parliamentary government did not alter the substance of royal power. In 1965, following student riots, Hassan declared a "state of exception" and assumed all legislative and executive powers. After an assassination attempt in 1972 his government grew more autocratic.

In the 1980s Hassan's regime was liberalised, partly because the opposition parties supported him in the dispute with Algeria over the future of the former Spanish territory of Western Sahara, which Morocco annexed in 1976. Parliamentary government was resumed and reasonably fair elections were held. But Hassan remained the real power in the country.

Hassan died in 1999 and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed VI. Mohammed accelerated the process of liberalisation, freeing political prisoners and easing restrictions on the media. In 2002 and 2007 elections were held which were fairly conducted, although most Islamist parties were prevented from participating. Nevertheless the King retains considerable power under the Constitution, and this is reinforced by his immense wealth and prestige.

Moroccan political parties are weak and have little real authority. The largest party in Morocco is the Independence Party or Istiqlal is a traditional Arab nationalist party, powerful in the 1940s and '50s but today in decline. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces is a moderate social-democrat party. The Justice and Development Party is a moderate Islamist party. The King appointed Abbas el Fassi, a member of the Independence Party, as Prime Minister in September 2007.

Freedom House's 2009 report on Morocco says: "Morocco is not an electoral democracy. Most power is still held by the king and his close advisers. The monarch can dissolve Parliament, rule by decree, and dismiss or appoint cabinet members. He sets national and foreign policy, commands the armed forces, and presides over the judicial system. One of the king's constitutional titles is "commander of the faithful," giving his authority a religious dimension... Given the concentration of power in the monarchy, opposition parties and even the cabinet are generally unable to assert themselves... Despite the government's promises to address corruption, it remains a serious problem. People with close ties to the monarchy receive preferential treatment in business and other matters. Morocco was ranked 80 out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index... In addition to a restrictive press law, the government employs an array of economic and other, more subtle mechanisms to punish independent and opposition journalists... The judiciary is not independent. Courts rarely make decisions that violate official policy. The courts are also subject to government pressure and have been used as a weapon to punish government critics."

Updated February 2010