The kings march 9, 2011 historic speech, promising wonders to moroccans, and announcing time lined steps towards the drafting of a new constitution followed by a referendum and elections, succeeded in stifling these protests. World constitutions illustrated morocco constitutionnet. In the speech given to both houses of parliament on 11 october 20 during the first parliamentary session, king mohammed vi said that the moroccan democratic model was a precursor in the region as well as on the continental level. Placard for yes in moroccan referendum on constitution change of 1st of july 2011 decided as a reaction to protests of arab spring, still present on july 3 it should have been removed on 30 of june. Morocco is a constitutional, democratic, parliamentary and social monarchy. Since its independence in 1956, morocco has had six constitutions. Moroccans vote yes to revised constitution news al.
Moroccans have overwhelmingly voted to approve a revised constitution that will curb king mohammed vis near absolute powers in the north african nation, the countrys interior minister has said. Consistency and modernity that rely as much on the form 180 items instead of 108 of the old text, well arranged in 14 titles. The yes is associated with a picture of king mohammed vi who announced he would vote for the. Gender at the heart of new moroccan constitution source.
As other arab nations erupted in unrest and violence, what unfolded on the streets of morocco was a peaceful but similar refrain, followed by a new constitution and an election. After protests involving nearly 200,000 moroccans, king mohammed vi charmed his constituents with the. Unfortunately there is still much work to be done and many challenges to curbing the gap between legal theory and practice in terms of safeguarding the rights of migrants and refugees in the country. On july 1, 2011, the moroccan ministry of interior released the results of the referendum on the new constitution, stating that 98. Tunisia in december 2010, the kingdom of morocco responded by rapidly drafting and adopting a new constitution in july 2011. Article 31 of the constitution, ratified in 2011, states that all citizens have the right to the access of water and to a healthy environment as well as to lasting durable development. The constitution king mohammed vi announced to his country on june 17 has been greeted by moroccans with a great deal of ambivalence. Does the new moroccan constitution represent a historical. This was originally the creation of the national advisory council and, on november 15, 1959, the enactment of the dahir, legislation text governing public freedoms and. Constitution of 2011 looking at the text of the new constitution, we can see that the demands from civic associations were in many cases taken into consideration, as overall the new constitution corresponds to the slogans of the protesters. With over 70% voter turnout on the referendum, 98% voted yes, as reported by the moroccan government labott. As an african state, one of its constituted objectives is the realization of african unity. King mohammed vi has also funded the preservation of jewish burial sites in cape verde, once home to a vibrant moroccan jewish community. Mar 09, 2011 king mohammed vi has announced a broad revision of moroccos constitution, a move aimed at boosting democracy in the north african country amid the recent turmoil in the arab world.
The constitutional regime of the kingdom is founded on the separation, the balance and the collaboration of the powers, as well as on participative democracy of the citizen, and the principles of good governance and of the correlation between the responsibility for and the rendering of accounts. Full text of the 1996 constitution in arabic, english, and french. Morocco, the amazigh issue and the 2011 constitution. Such acceleration of history allowed islamists in morocco, for the first time, the opportunity to form a. The first constitution of morocco was adopted in 1962, 6 years after the country regained independence. Moroccans vote yes to revised constitution news al jazeera. A referendum on constitutional reforms was held in morocco on 1 july 2011. Moroccans approve new constitution by sweeping majority. Elections were pushed forward from september 2012 to october 2011, and then november 2011.
Public administration may have different meanings and varies in form and scope. Despite continued protests, the new constitution was put into effect on august 1. Pdf on sep 1, 2016, ilyas saliba and others published change or charade. Preamble with fidelity to its irreversible choice to construct a democratic state of law, the kingdom of morocco resolutely pursues the process of consolidation and of reinforcement of the institutions of a modern state, having as its bases the principles of participation, of. Moroccos political future will be determined not only by the kings actions in the coming months, but also on the capacity and willingness of moroccan political organizations to build on the opportunities the new constitution, presented on june 17, offers them. However, the new constitution of 2011 is considered as a suitable tool initiating the moroccan alternative toward democracy. The new constitutional text was enacted on 29 july 2011. The new moroccan constitution adopted in 2011 enshrines the right to life in article 20. Consistency and modernity that rely as much on the form 180 items instead of 108 of the old text, well arranged in 14 titles than on. The 2011 prodemocracy protests of the 20 february movement injected a new energy into the moroccan national media, encouraging journalists to debate and to challenge historical constitutional taboos. Statement of the international preelection assessment. A draft released on 17 june foresaw the following changes. Although the 1992 and 1996 constitutions introduced some democratic.
The new reforms outlined in the june 17, 2011 moroccan constitu tion may be grouped in three major categories. It was called in response to a series of protests across morocco that began on 20 february 2011 when over ten thousand moroccans participated in demonstrations demanding democratic reforms. Sep 15, 2017 public administration may have different meanings and varies in form and scope. From and following that event, the king, mohamed v, worked for the establishment of political and constitutional institutions. Moroccan youth protest for constitutional reform, 2011. The voters who showed up at the nearly 40,000 polling stations around. Articles 71 and 152 address the extent to which the government is responsible for environmental protection and oversight. The article analyzes this phenomena as enshrined in the moroccan constitution of 2011 and identifies the characteristics of a political system quite different from. Constitution of morocco wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Last year, in july 2011, and just few days after the new constitution was adopted, and before the sacred month of ramadan started in early august, a video circulated on facebook and some online newspapers in which kasim alghazali, a young moroccan arab atheist as he called himself, expressed his call for a collective day breakfast in ramadan as a way of freedom of expression and belief. Sep 10, 2014 the kings march 9, 2011 historic speech, promising wonders to moroccans, and announcing time lined steps towards the drafting of a new constitution followed by a referendum and elections, succeeded in stifling these protests. The constitutional history of independent morocco originated in a tugofwar between the increasingly strong monarch and a heterogeneous group of nationalists. Library of congress federal research division country profile.
In june, just prior to the referendum vote that approved the new constitution, the president of the committee for the revision of the constitution, abdelatif mennouni, said this article is. The new constitution will also guarantee more rights for women and will make berber an official language, alongside arabic. This measure sought to reform the moroccan state constitution. The first constitution of morocco was adopted in 1962, 6 years after the country regained. New morocco constitution, election meant to avoid arab spring. Full text of the 2011 constitution in english pdf version full text of the 2011 constitution of morocco in berber and arabic. Great seal of his majesty mohammad vi that it may by known from this may allah uphold it and fortify its wording. This article tackles the issue of sovereignty in the moroccan political system and argues that there are formally two sources of legitimacy, royal and democratic, with deeper implications for decisionmaking and political power. The draft of the constitution of which the text is annexed to this dahir, will be submitted to referendum on 28 rejeb 1432 1 july 2011. The ratification of the protocol, which is expected to enter in force in july 2011, should help accelerate establishing a legal framework for biotechnology in morocco in the coming period. Encyclopedia of the modern middle east and north africa dictionary. Moroccan constitutional referendum, 2011 ballotpedia. An extension of the official moroccan identity in the.
New morocco constitution, election meant to avoid arab. Constitutional insights pre and post 2011, istituto affari internazionali ottaway, m. The 2011 arab spring demonstrations that led to regime change in a number of north african states also resulted in constitutional change in morocco. Moroccos constitutional reform process 2011 find, read and cite all the research you need on. It is an academic field and a professional activity and a combination of theory and practice. Morocco, the arab spring, and the 2011 constitution. In 1953 france exiled the popular sultan mohammed v to madagascar. No official english language version of the moroccan constitution has been located. Adopted by referendum in 2011, the moroccan constitution states that the countrys unity is.
Fez, morocco the new reforms outlined in the june 2011 moroccan constitution can be grouped in three major categories. Approved in the summer of 2011, the new moroccan constitution requires the king to name a prime minister from the largest party in parliament and give a number of other rights to parliament that previously belonged to the king. Although full understanding of the quoted french sections is not essential for readers to understand this article, the. The king of morocco submitted proposed changes to the constitution, including separating powers in the government, equal rights for men and women, judicial independence and. Moroccan authorities were generally tolerant of demonstrations. Civil society in morocco under the new 2011 constitution. However there are other key reforms that have gotten less. Moroccan people, particularly well established parties that struggled for over 50 years to develop a democratic system. King mohammed vi has announced a broad revision of moroccos constitution, a move aimed at boosting democracy in the north african country amid the recent turmoil in the arab world. Constitution a series of constitutions, drafted in 1962, 1970, 1972, 1992, and 1996, that preserve the monarchical nature of the moroccan regime. The king identified ten areas of changes that he described as making the new constitution a. In june, just prior to the referendum vote that approved the new constitution, the president of the committee for the revision of the constitution, abdelatif mennouni, said this article is meant to put an end to executions. Dec 23, 2011 as other arab nations erupted in unrest and violence, what unfolded on the streets of morocco was a peaceful but similar refrain, followed by a new constitution and an election giving moroccans.
After examination of the draft of the constitution by the council of ministers meeting on 14 rejeb 1432 17 june 2011, has decided that which follows. Although it appears to be a foregone conclusion that a majority of moroccans will vote yes in the referendum announced for july 1, many will do so with reservations. Why i reject moroccos new constitution larbi for the. However, the new constitution of 2011 is considered as a suitable tool. According to the moroccan constitution, international treaties and protocols to. Oct, 2011 on july 1, 2011, the moroccan ministry of interior released the results of the referendum on the new constitution, stating that 98. The following is a guest post by issam saliba, senior foreign law specialist in a speech delivered on june 17, 2011, the king of morocco, mohammed vi, outlined the changes that are included in a proposed new constitution, which will be voted on in a referendum scheduled for tomorrow july 1, 2011. The crown of morocco and its constitutional rights are hereditary and are transmitted from father to son through male descendants in direct line and by order of primogeniture of his majesty the king mohammed vi, unless the king has designated, in his lifetime, a successor from among his sons, other than his eldest son. Although this is a step forward, several rights are without precise normative content. Morocco announces constitutional reform plan world news. Then, in 1960, the constitutional council was created and the draft of the first constitution was proposed on november 18, 1962, and ratified by referendum on december 7, 1962 and promulgated one week later, on december 14. A moroccan constitutional referendum was held on july 1, 2011, in the country of morocco.
And for good reasons, the fundamental features of this new text trace the contours. Jun 23, 2011 why i reject moroccos new constitution. When the first protest organ ised by the 20th february movement took place. New moroccan constitution 2011 parliament exercises legislative power. A new constitution in response to the uprisings before the 2011 constitution, morocco had adopted five constitutions in 1962, 1970, 1972, 1992 and 1996. The new moroccan constitution includes many human rights that were not previously recognized in the country. On april 25, 2011, morocco ratified the cartagena protocol on biosafety. However, the limited scope and impact of this movement hampered the consolidation of these trends. In the aftermath of the rioting, the residency outlawed the new moroccan communist party and the istiqlal.