Morocco

I

Communications

There were around 45 telephones per 1,000 people in use in Morocco in 2005. Radio and television programmes are broadcast in several languages, and about 7 million radios and 5 million television receivers were in use in 2000. The country has 23 daily newspapers and numerous periodicals.

V

Government

Morocco is a hereditary monarchy, governed under a constitution of 1992, approved in a national referendum.

A

Executive and Legislature

The monarch, who, according to the constitution, must be male, is the head of state of Morocco. He appoints the prime minister and Cabinet. He also has the power to call for a reconsideration of legislative measures and to dissolve the legislature. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces.

Under the constitution of 1972, Morocco has a unicameral legislature called the Chamber of Representatives. Its 325 members serve five-year terms. Deputies for 295 seats are chosen by direct universal adult suffrage; deputies for the remaining 30 seats are chosen from national lists reserved for women. A referendum in 1996 established a Chamber of Councillors with 270 members, each elected for a nine-year term: 162 are elected by local councils, 81 by chambers of commerce, and 27 by trade unions. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in 2003.

B

Political Parties

Morocco has a multi-party political system. The major organizations are the Istiqlal (I)/Parti d’Independence, a moderate grouping founded in 1944; the Popular Movement (MP), a conservative organization established in 1959; the National Popular Movement (MNP), formed in 1991 after a split in the MP; the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP); the pro-monarchy National Rally of Independents (RNI), founded in 1978; the Constitutional Union (UC), organized in 1983; the National Democratic Party (PND), founded in 1981; and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), formerly the Party for Liberty and Socialism but renamed in 1994. In 2001 two new parties were formed: the Party of Reform and Development (PRD) and the Citizens’ Forces (FC). The voting age was lowered from 20 to 18 years of age in December 2002. At the 2002 elections no party won an overall majority. The following groupings were strongly represented in the legislature: USFP; I; the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD); RNI; MP; MNP; and UC.

C

Judiciary

The highest tribunal in Morocco is the supreme court, which sits in Rabat. The country also has 15 courts of appeal. Cases involving small sums of money are heard by local tribunals, and more important cases are initiated in regional tribunals. In addition, the country has 14 labour tribunals.