Morocco has a long history of civilization that dates back to the Neolithic age (2000 BCE). For a time it formed part of the Roman empire, and was later home to Islamic and Berber empires. Under the Berbers, Morocco reached its territorial peak, with the incursion onto the Iberian Peninsula. In 1631, the Alaouite dynasty came to power. The current monarchs of Morocco are of Alaouite descent. In the 19^th century, Morocco struggled, largely successfully, to maintain independence during the era of Europe’s North African colonialism. However, due to its geopolitically important position at the mouth of the Mediterranean, European interest in Morocco was strong. Spain occupied the northern portion of the territory in 1860, while the French expanded their possessions in neighbouring Algeria to occupy the remaining half of the country in 1912. While Morocco fought for the French in World War II, an independence movement began shortly after the war ended. Occupied with the independence movement in Algeria, the French lost control of Morocco and granted it independence on 2 March 1956, while the Spanish also turned over their possessions in the same year.

The Sultan Mohammed V established a constitutional monarchy in which he maintained a large amount of authority. He was followed by Hassan II on 3 March 1961, who is best known as the ruler during a long period of government repression termed “the years of lead.” He began his reign by naming himself prime minister and appointing a new Cabinet. Hassan II then drew up a new constitution which was adopted by a national referendum in 1962. This constitution made the king as the central executive figure of the government. It also created a bicameral parliament and an independent judiciary. The period of political reform came to an end, however, when Hassan II was granted full executive and legislative powers under a state of exception due to political unrest over allegations of government corruption in June 1965. When the protests were quelled by the government, the king restored the Parliament, but with limited powers. A new constitution was drafted in 1970 eliminating one of the houses of Parliament and increasing the king’s powers, but it was abandoned after an attempted military coup in July 1971. Another constitution was passed by referendum on 10 March 1972, but another attempted coup occurred in August of that same year. This document allowed the king to maintain his powers, but it more clearly defined the balance of power between the monarch, council of ministers, and the parliament. When Western Sahara was partitioned in April 1976, Morocco acquired control of the northern two-thirds of the country. The constitutional amendments in 1992 and 1996 expanded the parliament’s powers to include budgetary matters, approving bills, investigating ministers, and establishing ad hoc commissions of inquiry to question the government’s actions. The 1996 amendment moreover re-established the bicameral legislature. Hassan II died in 1999 and his son Mohamed VI took the thrown, promising to end government corruption, release prisoners, and address human rights violations. However, political protests arose in 2011 in the wake of the so-called Arab Spring, demanding political reforms placing more power in the hands of elected representatives. In order to stay ahead of the movement that had toppled governments in nearby Tunisia and Egypt, the king appointed a commission of experts who drafted a new constitution in close consultation with a commission of experts who functioned as a liaison between the drafters and political parties, unions, businesses, and human rights organizations. However, the input of these groups was minimal, as they were only allowed to submit recommendations and were not privy to the actual negotiations and drafting. The new constitution passed by referendum on 1 July 2011.

The 2011 Constitution strengthened the power of the government, but the King still maintains significant, unchecked executive authority. The Constitution starts by recognizing not only Morocco’s Arab religious plurality and place within the larger Arab community, but its commitment to an African Union. It also reaffirms Morocco’s commitment to human rights and international law. It maintains Morocco’s character as a constitutional monarchy, placing the executive power in the hands of the Monarch, the Prime Minister, and the Cabinet, while the legislative authority is held by the bicameral legislature. The Judiciary is headed by a Constitutional Court and presided over by a Superior Council.

Executive branch

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Since the passage of the 2011 Constitution, student-led protests have continued unabated, demanding the further reduction of the Monarch’s powers, the strengthening of the powers of elected representatives, and the end to government corruption. They complain that the constitution continues to place the King in too powerful of a position, as he chairs Cabinet meetings, controls the judiciary and the military, presides over religious matters, and may dismiss the legislature if it passes a law he does not approve of. Many protestors also remain unhappy with the constitutional drafting process, claiming it was not transparent or reflective of the will of the people. Protestors marched in the capital of Rabat on the Monarch’s allegiance day, demanding that the King be transformed into a figurehead. However, unlike the Arab Spring protests, these protests remained relatively small and contain mostly students and young people. In addition, the movement lacked cohesive leadership and agenda of action. Some political organizations have moved to support the protests, dubbed the February 20 Movement. These leftist political parties, unions, human rights organizations, and Islamist movements have set up a council in the hopes of providing a centralized program of support for the protestors, but the main political parties of Morocco continue to be suspicious of the intentions of the group, fearing it will turn into another government-toppling, student-led incident as in Tunisia and Egypt.

In addition to the debate surrounding the powers of the King, concerns remain over the definition of the identity of the state. The Constitution names Islam as the national religion, and recognizes Amazigh, the language of the Berber majority, as an official language. There have been debates as to the role of Islam in the government of the country, creating tensions between the Islamist and civil parties. Those who advocate a more secular government are fearful of being viewed as irreligious, while the religious parties do not want to be associated with extremism. In addition, the Constitution guarantees a freedom of conscience in addition to a freedom of religion. This, some argue, forces the state to recognize controversial, non-religious practices such as homosexuality. While Morocco is more liberal than many other Arab states that use Sharia law, the King does have a religious role, and if Islam were removed from the Constitution, he would see his power diminished. Debate also surrounds the inclusion of Amazigh in the new constitution, as some believe this dilutes the nation’s Arab identity.

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• Souhail Karam. “Thousands Protest on Morocco King’s Allegiance Day.” 31/07/2011. Reuters. Web. 31 Jul 2011.
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• Paul Silverstein. “Weighing Morocco’s New Constitution.” 05/07/2011. Middle East Research and Information Project. Web. 31 Jul 2011.
• “Référendum sure le projet de la Constitution.” Royaume du Maroc Bulletin Officiel: Edition de Traduction Officielle. 17 juin 2011. Print.
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• Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Arab Political Systems: Baseline Information and Reforms – Morocco.