Parliamentary election in Morocco 2011
On November 25, 2011, the first parliamentary election in Morocco after a constitutional amendment took place under the influence of the Arab Spring .
prehistory
The previous parliamentary election took place in September 2007. It was considered orderly and transparent, but the turnout was only 37% due to the complicated voting system. After the election, five parties formed a coalition government. Abbas El Fassi , the leader of the strongest party, Istiqlal , was appointed the new prime minister by the Moroccan king.
Under the influence of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt , thousands of Moroccans demonstrated on February 20, 2011 under the title “Day of Dignity” for political reforms and more democracy. There were violent riots and deaths in some parts of the country.
In response to the unrest, King Mohammed VI resigned. political reforms and presented details of a constitutional reform on June 17, 2011, which, according to official figures, was confirmed in a referendum on July 1, 2011 by 98 percent of the voters. According to the reform, the king gave some of his previous rights to parliament and the prime minister. He was also obliged to choose the head of government from the party with the most seats in parliament. In addition, the new constitution provides for equal rights for the Berber language, Moroccan Tamazight, with Arabic, and a clearer separation of the judiciary and the executive . Despite some concessions in these areas, the king remains the supreme military and religious authority even after the reform.
In order to be able to implement the reforms quickly, the parliamentary election was brought forward by around ten months to November 25, 2011. Several opposition groups consider the reform to be purely cosmetic changes and are calling for a parliamentary monarchy.
choice
A total of 395 parliamentary seats were awarded in the election, 305 of them via party lists in 92 electoral districts. The other 90 seats are chosen from a so-called “national list”; 60 seats are reserved for women and 30 for young MPs under 40 years of age.
A total of 31 parties ran for election. The favorites for the parliamentary elections were the moderate Islamist Party for Justice and Development , French Parti de la justice et du développement (PJD), as well as the conservative Istiqlal party and the coalition for democracy . Eight parties had come together in this, including the previous ruling parties, the People's Movement and the RNI .
Election result
Despite calls for a boycott by some opposition groups, voter turnout was around 45%, which is significantly higher than in the last election. However, this percentage only refers to the number of registered voters, which despite population growth was around 13.5 million, lower than in 2007 (around 15 million). The total eligible population is around 21 million.
| Political party | Expression | Leading head | Results 2007 | Results 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justice and Development Party (PJD) |
Conservatism , Islamism , economic liberalism |
Abdelillah Benkirane (newly appointed head of government) |
10.9% of the vote 46 MPs |
22.8% of the vote 107 MPs |
|
| Istiqlal or "Party of Independence" |
Conservatism , nationalism |
Abbas El Fassi (former Prime Minister) |
10.7% of the votes 52 MPs |
11.9% of the vote 60 MPs |
|
| National Association of Independents (RNI) | Liberalism , center-right | Salaheddine Mezouar | 9.7% of the vote 39 MPs |
11.3% of the votes 52 MPs |
|
| Authenticity and modernity party | indefinite, favored by the king | Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah |
Founded in 2008 21% in the 2009 local elections |
11.1% of the vote 47 MPs |
|
| Socialist Union of People's Forces | Social democracy | Abdelwahed Radi | 8.9% of the vote 38 MPs |
8.6% of the vote 39 MPs |
|
| Popular movement |
Royalism , representation of rural areas |
Mohand Laenser | 9.3% of the vote 41 MPs |
7.5% of the vote 32 MPs |
|
| Constitutional Union (UC) | Royalism, conservatism , economic liberalism |
Mohamed Abied | 7.3% of the vote 27 MPs |
5.8% of the vote 23 MPs |
|
| Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) | socialism | Mohamed Nabil Benabdallah | 5.4% of the vote 17 MPs |
5.7% of the vote 18 MPs |
|
The remaining 17 seats are divided between ten other parties.
Government formation
On November 29th, King Mohammed VI appointed PJD General Secretary Abdelillah Benkirane as the new Prime Minister (officially: Chef du Gouvernement ) of Morocco. Benkirane then formed a government coalition made up of the PJD, Istiqlal , PPS and the People's Movement (MP).
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ a b Morocco votes in first election since reforms. Al Jazeera English , November 25, 2011, accessed November 25, 2011 .
- ^ Spiegel Online : Conservatives win, Islamists speak of fraud. September 9, 2007.
- ↑ Alexander Göbel: Thousands are calling for democratic reforms - Moroccans demonstrate on the “Day of Dignity”. tagesschau.de, February 21, 2011, archived from the original on November 16, 2012 ; Retrieved December 25, 2015 .
- ^ Riots in the Arab world - five dead in Morocco, demos in Yemen. tagesschau.de, February 21, 2011, archived from the original on February 24, 2011 ; Retrieved February 21, 2011 .
- ↑ 98 percent for constitutional reform. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012 ; Retrieved December 25, 2015 .
- ↑ Mohammed VI. Announces constitutional reform: Morocco's king wants to give up part of his power. tagesschau.de, archived from the original on June 19, 2011 ; Retrieved November 25, 2011 .
- ↑ King wants to give up authority. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, June 18, 2011, accessed on November 25, 2011 .
- ↑ Bikya Masr November 25 set for vote ( Memento from May 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ zeit.de: Islamists win the election in Morocco ZEIT ONLINE, AFP November 26, 2011
- ↑ a b Morocco votes in first election since reforms on November 25, 2011
- ↑ Morocco's Islamists promise change after the election victory. tagesschau.de, November 26, 2011, archived from the original on November 27, 2011 ; Retrieved November 27, 2011 .
- ^ Islamist party claims victory in Morocco vote. Al Jazeera English, November 26, 2011, accessed November 27, 2011 .
- ↑ Moroccan's vote in modest numbers ( Memento from November 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Projections de la population totale par groupe d'âge et sexe. Royaume de Maroc - Haut-Commission du Plan, accessed December 2, 2011 (French).
- ↑ psephos.adam-carr.net
- ^ Elections in Morocco : PJD declares itself the winner
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Résultats définitifs du scrutin du 25 novembre portant sur les 395 sièges. ( Memento of November 30, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) In: Le Matin. November 27, 2011, accessed November 27, 2011.
- ^ After the elections: moderate Islamists surprisingly unsuccessful. Alawite monarchy strengthens its power
- ^ New modernization party wins elections in Morocco
- ↑ Konrad Adenauer Foundation election analysis of November 30, 2011
