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| Africa North |
| Moroccans salute kings speech |
| 2011-03-12 |
| [Maghrebia] Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Wednesday (March 9th) announced sweeping reforms, including a new constitution, an 'independent judiciary", and a popularly elected prime minister. The goal of the announced reforms, he said, is "an elected government which reflects the will of the people, through the ballot box, and which enjoys the confidence of the majority of the House of Representatives". Parliament will be provided with "new powers" based on free and fair elections. The monarch also promised to consolidate "the status of the prime minister as the head of an effective executive branch", elevate the judiciary to "the status of an independent power and reinforce the prerogatives of the Constitutional Council". Political, economic, social and cultural rights will be expanded, the sovereign said. He pledged to bolster political pluralism and invigorate the role of parties. A new commission, headed by university professor Abdeltif Mennouni, will work on the constitutional revisions until June. "The new draft constitution [will be] submitted to the people via referendum for adoption and implementation," the king said. Moreover, the monarch stressed the need for constitutional recognition of "the rich, variegated yet unified character of the Moroccan identity, including the Amazigh component as a core element and common asset belonging to all Moroccans". Regionalisation was another salient point of King Mohammed VI's speech. Directly elected councils will be tasked with managing regional affairs, with the heads of these councils empowered to make decisions instead of governors and walis. The reforms are also aimed at strengthening women's participation in the management of regional affairs, with legal provisions to guarantee equal access to elected posts for men and women. Both politicians and ordinary citizens welcomed the king's promises. "This is a new phase, as the people and the king move towards a democratic state, and it is a move in the right direction for the future," Justice and Development Party (PJD) chief Abdelilah Benkirane said. "It will take some time to think through all the points." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #5 Something about Juan Carlos we dunno? |
| Posted by: Pollyandrew 2011-03-12 21:52 |
| #4 look at then king of spain. I don't follow, 746, Would you be so good as to expand on that thought? Thank you. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2011-03-12 12:05 |
| #3 smart king, royal lines reflect excellent judgement and thought processes if they're real. look at then king of spain. |
| Posted by: 746 2011-03-12 11:03 |
| #2 With a middle finger? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-03-12 03:58 |
| #1 Kings here have legitimate and rooted right to rule, and they have used kid gloves in the past. Confuse not nations legitimacy upon ruling system. It is the same, and everyone knows it - or should. |
| Posted by: newc 2011-03-12 01:45 |