In a rare TV and radio speech to the nation, the popular
monarch said a new commission would suggest constitutional revisions to him by
June, and the overall project would be put to Moroccan voters in a referendum.
“By launching today the work of constitutional reform, we
embark on a major phase in the process of consolidation of our model of
democracy and development,” said the king, wearing glasses, a sober black tie
and a dark suit. He was flanked by his brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and his 7-year-old
son, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan.
Some Moroccans poured into the streets of Rabat, the
capital, to celebrate after the speech, blaring car horns and waving the North
African country’s single-star flag.
But the overall reaction to the country’s first
constitutional revision since 1996, and the first since Mohammed VI took the
throne following his father’s death in 1999, wasn’t immediately clear. The
speech, which was only announced hours earlier, came as many people in the
football-crazy country tuned in to watch the latest European Champions League
contests.
A major question was whether the constitutional changes on
tap will involve the highly contested Article 19, which largely underpins the
near-absolute power that the king has in Morocco. It enshrines the monarch as
“the defender of the faith” — Islam — and “guarantor of the perpetuation and
the continuity of the state,” as well as respect for the constitution.
Many labor unions, political parties and human rights groups
have clamored for changes to the constitution for years, and Article 19 has
been one of their main targets.
Still, the breadth of the king’s address suggested a major
reworking is in the offing.
The wide-ranging efforts aim in part to devolve greater
power to Morocco’s regions, improve the independence of courts, and ensure that
the prime minister is selected by the majority party in parliament, he said.
The king said women’s rights and political participation —
already a mainstay of his previous reforms — would be strengthened, such as
ensuring through law that men and women have equal access to elective
positions.
The plan would aim to broaden individual freedoms, solidify
the rule of law and strengthen human rights. The king also said he was
committed to a “strong push” to revive the country’s reform ambitions.
Morocco has so far avoided the persistent unrest that
brought down regimes in fellow north African countries Tunisia and Egypt. Five
people, however, died in violence linked to protests across the country on Feb.
20.
The main target of those protests was parliament, where many
Moroccans fear their voices aren’t heard. Few Moroccans question the monarchy,
which has existed for centuries — and Mohammed enjoys broad admiration and
respect.
The king did not make any direct reference to the upheaval
that has swept across North Africa and elsewhere.
An ally of both Europe and the United States, Mohammed VI is
widely seen as a reformer compared to his iron-fisted father Hassan II — though
human rights in the country have faced criticism.
Last
October, Human Rights Watch reported that suspects detained under Morocco’s
counterterrorism laws are routinely subjected to human rights violations. The
government denied those allegations.
