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Morocco votes on Constitutional reforms

By on July 1, 2011
Moroccans are going this Friday to the polls to vote on a series of constitutional reforms that would give the prime minister and parliament more power.

More than 13 million Moroccan eligible voters will cast their vote in about 40,000 polling stations opened around the country. Moroccans living abroad could also vote at embassies or consulates, a possibility they do not have in legislative elections.
Nearly all the parliamentary parties have campaigned for a ‘yes’ vote, describing the constitutional reforms as a big step that will make Morocco more democratic.
The reforms-announced on June 17 by King Mohammed VI after consulting and building on  proposals made by representatives of associations, trade unions, political parties, human rights activists, religious leaders…
Analysts say that Moroccans will mostly vote for the constitutional amendments described as “a date with history”  and  “a decisive historic transition”.
Under the draft constitution, the king remains as the head of state, the military, and the Islamic faith in Morocco, but the prime minister – to be chosen from the largest party elected to parliament – would take over as head of the government.
The reforms would reinforce the independence of the judiciary, boost efforts to tackle corruption, guarantee freedom of expression and gender rights and make Berber an official language.
However, the youth-based February 20 movement and leftist groups have said constitutional reforms proposed by King Mohammed VI do not go far enough, calling for a boycott of the vote.

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