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| Africa North | |
| Morocco protesters demand political change | |
| 2011-02-21 | |
| Thousands of people have marched in Moroccan cities to demand that King Mohammed VI give up some of his powers. The protesters have not called for the removal of King Mohammed, but for a new constitution curbing his powers. In the capital, Rabat, police allowed protesters to approach parliament, chanting slogans like "The people reject a constitution made for slaves!" A separate protest is under way in the country's biggest city, Casablanca, and another was planned in Marrakesh. Sunday's rallies in Morocco are organised by groups including one calling itself the February 20 Movement for Change. More than 23,000 people have expressed their backing for its Facebook site. "This is a peaceful protest to push for constitutional reform, restore dignity and end graft," said Mustapha Muchtati of the Baraka (Enough) group, one of the organisers behind the protest. Analysts say that - unlike other countries that has seen protests - Morocco has a successful economy, an elected parliament and a reformist monarchy, making it less vulnerable to a major uprising than other countries.
Beneath the surface real problems are lurking, he adds - with a huge young population, many of them poor or unemployed; a gap between rich and poor described by one commentator as "obscene"; and parliamentary elections said by critics to be a fig leaf for an undemocratic system. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |