Fair or not? Tomorrow's elections in Morocco are creating a stir, says Faysal Saouli Al-Ahram Weekly 6-12 September
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Throughout the election campaign, Saadeddin Al-Othmani, secretary-general of the Moroccan Justice and Development Party (JDP), spoke confidently about his party's prospects in the 7 September elections. His optimism is justified. Most pollsters predict that the JDP will come out a winner. Morocco is set to have its first taste of a government run by an Islamist party. However, the regime, or the Makhzen as it is often called, is less than excited about the prospect. And other Moroccans agree. The JDP's rivals, including leftist parties, claim that the JDP would fuel fundamentalist sentiments at a time when the country is battling against terrorists and insurgents. The JDP, one of the four Islamic parties contesting the legislative elections, is the first such party to be legalised in the country. It was created in 1992 as the Party of National Renewal and switched to its current name in 1998. It is also the only Islamist party with representatives in the parliament. It won 43 parliamentary seats in the 2002 elections and is set to win up to one million votes in the upcoming elections, which would give it anywhere between 70 and 80 seats of the 325- seat lower house, making it the largest party in the parliament and Al-Othmani, often described as Morocco's Erdogan, eligible to form the government. But the future is not all that certain. The JDP would have to look for partners in a majority coalition. And other Islamist parties, such as the Progress and Virtue Party of Mohamed Al-Khalidi (an offshoot of the JDP), the Alternative Civilisation Party (formed without licence in 1995), and the Umma Party (whose members are running as independents) may not give the coalition the majority it needs. Morocco's largest Islamic group, known as Justice and Charity, has decided to stay away from the elections. As a result, the JDP would have to court parties from outside the Islamist current. It may end up teaming up with the reconciliation current and centrist and "citizenry" parties. But it is unlikely to convince the Democratic Front to join it in government. And the leftists are definitely not going to lend it a helping hand. This may explain why the regime is not all that upset by the prospects of a JDP victory. According to the constitution, the king, whose official name according to the constitution is "prince of the faithful", is the one who appoints the prime minister and -- through suggestion of the prime minister -- the ministers. The six-party Democratic Bloc, which formed a parliamentary majority in the 2002 elections, couldn't form a government because of disagreement over who would be prime minister. King Mohamed VI finally chose Driss Jettou, a technocrat, for the post. The king may do just that yet again. Morocco's neighbour, Algeria, resolved a similar debacle by dismantling the entire democratic process, and the outcome was not exactly commendable. So Morocco, one can argue, is in a better shape. It has a way out. Political science professor Mohamed Al-Ghemari is among those convinced that the JDP is not a threat to democracy in Morocco, but rather a boost. The JDP is moderate in its views and has partnered successfully with other parties in municipal councils. And its supporters are fairly competent and disciplined. The JDP is a welcome change from the shallowness of leftist and pro-democracy parties, some say. And it runs on a platform of social justice. Its leaders promise to stamp out corruption, free the judiciary, and uphold the law. Its main challenger is the Democratic Bloc. The six-party Democratic Bloc had the majority in the previous government. Its main parties are the USFP (or the socialist union of popular forces) and the Independence Party. The bloc contains longstanding parties that have participated in several governments since the country won its independence in 1956. In the 1980s, most of the old parties went into the opposition after King Hassan II passed laws expanding his own powers at the expense of the government. The upcoming elections would give Morocco its eighth parliament, but only two parliaments so far managed to complete their term (the 1997 and 2002 parliaments) in relative peace. Often, the king dissolved the parliament, or parties would walk out in protest. This year's elections differ from previous ones in more than one aspect. For starters, it is monitored by foreign observers. Also, four Islamist parties contest the elections, and one of them is a likely winner. And the voting age has been reduced from 20 to 18. A Jewish businesswoman, Maggie Cacoun, and a Jewish businessman, Youssef Levi, are running as Social Middle (Wasat) Party candidates. Strange perhaps, but two Jews served as ministers in the 1960s and 1980s. The county's best- known Jewish politician in Morocco is Andre Azoulay, a current adviser to the king.
