Constitutional referendum in Morocco 2011
The constitutional referendum in Morocco 2011 was held on July 1, 2011 in the Kingdom of Morocco as a reaction to the Arab Spring and, according to official information, confirmed more than 98 percent yes-votes, small steps to relativize the rule of King Mohammed VI. Foreign observers described the vote as a farce. The Moroccan opposition movement, whose demonstrations in March 2011 triggered the announcement of the constitutional amendments, had called for a boycott of the vote. The new constitution came into force on July 30, 2011.
Changes
The constitutional changes decided upon with the vote in detail:
- In addition to Arabic, Moroccan Tamazight , the Berber language, is now the official language. Article 5 of the revised constitution calls them the "common heritage of all Moroccans without exception". In the same article it is stated as the duty of the state to preserve Hassania as part of the cultural identity of Morocco. The state is also obliged to protect all other local dialects and expressions.
- The king is no longer “holy”, but his integrity is inviolable (Article 46).
- The king must appoint a prime minister from the party that won the most parliamentary seats in elections. So far he has been completely free in his choice.
- The prime minister has the right to ask the king to dismiss a minister. So far this has been the exclusive right of the king. This and the above change are set out in Article 47.
- It is no longer the king but the premier who appoints high-ranking administrative and diplomatic posts (including ambassadors, directors of state companies and provincial governors). He does this in consultation with the Council of Ministers. (Articles 49 and 91)
- Parliament is given some additional rights. So it may z. B. enact a general amnesty , which was previously only possible for the king (Article 71).
- Judicial and executive branches should be separated (Article 107).
- The constitution guarantees civil and social equality between women and men. Previously, there was only talk of political equality and equality before the law.
- As head of government, the prime minister has the right to dissolve parliament.
- The freedom of thought, ideas and art is enshrined for all citizens.
None of these changes change the central position of the monarch in the power structure of Morocco, who continues to determine the country's politics.
Official results
| be right | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 9 653 492 | 98.50% | |
| No | 146 718 | 1.50% | |
| Valid votes | 9 800 210 | 99.17% | |
| Invalid votes | 81 712 | 0.83% | |
| Total votes | 9 881 922 | 100.00% | |
| voter turnout | 73.46% | ||
| electorate | 13 451 404 | ||
| Source: | |||
Web links
- Announcement of the referendum and draft constitution (PDF file; 3.3 MB), official translation into French
- thomas-dehler-stiftung.de, PDF
- Constitution as it came into effect on July 30, 2011 (PDF file; 1.3 MB), official translation into French
Individual evidence
- ^ Gero von Randow: Constitutional Reform: The Moroccan Farce. In: Zeit Online. July 2, 2011, accessed October 19, 2011 .
- ↑ 98 percent for constitutional reform. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012 ; Retrieved December 25, 2015 .
- ↑ Bulletin officiel. Kingdom of Morocco, July 30, 2011, accessed February 17, 2014 (French).
- ↑ Morocco: Referendum Results ( Memento from July 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
