Moroccan political system

The Moroccan political system is a constitutional monarchy .

In the historical-local context, this political system can be seen as the preliminary result of the continued efforts of the Alawid dynasty to dissolve the internal and external resistance to a unification of the tribes of the country, which especially during the colonial period , i.e. before the country's independence, dominated the situation in the region. This includes the increasing use of modern forms of political, social and economic administration, but just under the traditional, scherifisch legitimized rule of their dynasty.

This monarchy , restricted by a constitution, is the answer to various militant and political attempts to transform Morocco into a republican form of government , which have so far failed. Nor could neofundamentalistisch -islamistische currents in Morocco so far to gain political influence.

Many elements of the constitution, parliamentarism, the judiciary and national administration are borrowed from the French political system.

The Constitution

See also: Constitutions of Morocco

Six years after independence, King Hassan II presented the country's first constitution to the people for voting in 1962 - it was adopted with over 80% of the vote. The currently valid constitution of the country from 2011 represents the last revision of a constitution from 1972 , which has since been changed several times and expanded to include democratic elements.

King and Government

In the context of the Moroccan constitution, the king occupies a singular and dominant position in the country's political and economic structure. It is the guarantor of the existence and the continuity of the state and the ultimate arbitration board between its institutions. He oversees the constitution and the function of the constitutional organs, he guarantees the protection of democratic elections and the freedom rights of citizens and society as well as the international obligations of the kingdom.

The current king and head of state of the country has been Mohammed VI since the death of his father Hassan II in July 1999 . It is incumbent on him to appoint a prime minister who corresponds to the election winner of the parliamentary elections , and he can dismiss him. He appoints all the ministers proposed by the (designated) Prime Minister and dismisses them at his own discretion - after consulting the Prime Minister or at his request. In any case, the business of government is carried on by the Prime Minister until a new government is formed.

The King presides over the Council of Ministers , which can be convened by him and the Prime Minister, or he delegates the presidency to the Prime Minister in individual cases.

The king can intervene in the work of the government by decree , Moroccan Dahir , dissolve parliament, order new elections or, in the event of a serious threat to the constitutional institutions, impose a state of emergency. In addition to the supreme command of the Moroccan military and the chairmanship of the High Council of Justice, the king also has the role of leader of the state religion of Islam , i.e. the spiritual leader ( Amir Al Mu'minin ) of the Muslim population.

Since Moroccan independence in 1956 there are officially 30 governments. Two government reshuffles by Prime Minister Abdelilah BenkiraneBenkirane , as well as the government after the election in October 2016, are not counted here.

Parliament

The Parliament of Morocco since a constitutional reform of 13 September 1996 of two chambers : the Representatives Assembly ( lower house ) and the council ( upper house ).

The 395 members of the House of Representatives are directly elected every five years by the eligible population, 305 of them via party lists in 92 electoral districts. The remaining 90 seats are chosen from a so-called "national list", which is reserved for women (60 seats) and for MPs younger than 40 years (30 seats). All citizens of Morocco over the age of twenty-one are entitled to vote. Registration in the electoral roll is a prerequisite for active participation in the election.

The 90 to 120 members of the council assembly represent proportionally the regions, provinces and municipalities of the country (72 seats), as well as the chambers of commerce, guilds, employers and employees associations (48 seats). They are elected "indirectly" every 6 years, i. H. they are proposed by the respective institutions and assemblies, which are also subject to democratic rules, and finally confirmed by the king. The constituent sessions of the parliamentary chambers are chaired by the king.

The powers of the parliament were expanded through reforms in the 1990s and most recently in 2011. Parliament approves laws, deals with the state budget, has the right to question ministers and can set up investigative commissions to review government actions. The Assembly of Representatives also has the right to overthrow the government by means of a vote of no confidence .

Political parties

The Moroccan party system is characterized by a large number of parties, in addition to an at least as unmanageable number of non-party mandate holders who can take part in the parliamentary elections. Currently (as of 2017) there are more than 30 parties, twelve of which entered parliament in the 2016 elections. Only rarely does a list or party achieve more than 15% of the vote, which is why coalition governments are the rule in Morocco.

The party with the most seats in the Assembly of Representatives in Parliament provides the Prime Minister - traditionally this is the party leader - who is charged by the King with forming a government.

In the last election in 2016, this was the Justice and Development Party (PJD) with just under 28% of the vote or 125 seats.

See also: Parties in Morocco

The judiciary

According to the constitution, the judiciary is an independent power to be guaranteed by the king. The Supreme Court rules constitutional disputes. Its judges are appointed for life by the king on the recommendation of the High Council of Justice , which the king presides over.

As in most other countries, there are civil and criminal courts whose decisions can be reviewed in appeal and review bodies.

The family law matters of Moroccan citizens of the Jewish faith are heard in separate family courts, which are appointed by the Jewish communities .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Constitution of December 7, 1962
2. ^ Official notice of the Moroccan Constitution of 2011
3. ↑ History of Governments , on maroc.ma: