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Morocco steps up diplomatic offensive on constitutional reforms
After Washington, Moroccan foreign minister, Taib Fassi Fihri flew to London before visiting this week Paris, third leg of a shuttle diplomacy aimed at promoting Morocco’s constitutional reforms announced lately by King Mohammed VI, and reassuring friends and partners.According to Foreign diplomatic sources, M. Fihri told his European interlocutors “Morocco is serious” about the “comprehensive constitutional reform” promised by the monarch, who has earned a reputation as a reformist since ascending to the throne in 1999.
In his speech to the nation (March 9th 2011), the King vowed to expand “individual and collective liberties, saying that he would give up the power to name the prime minister, who would be chosen by parliament.
It was his first public speech since thousands of people rallied in several cities on 20 February. This meets some of the demands of street rallies, similar to those seen in Tunisia and Egypt.
For US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, the reforms outlined by King Mohammed VI “hold great promise first and foremost for the Moroccan people themselves”, and praised the setting up of National Human Rights Council, a new body replacing a previous Rights advisory board.
“we urge a continuing and rapid implementation of the King’s vision. We obviously want to see it come into effect, we want to see it in action”, stressed Mme Clinton.
In London, while attending an international conference on Libya, as well as during his trip to Paris, M Fassi Fihri met with his European counterparts and raised the issue of Western Sahara and the broad constitutional reforms launched in the Kingdom.
This reform plan, seen as a move aimed at boosting democracy in the North African country, was welcomed by several European capitals and described as “important step” on the path of consolidating rule of law, good governance and human rights.