MOROCCO: KING MOHAMED VI MOVES TO AVERT REVOLUTION


  Can Morocco ride out the Arab Spring? Shaken by street protests and the February 20 Movement's insistent calls for change, King Mohamed VI has pledged sweeping constitutional and political reforms.
 
Mohamed VI fights back
(7 ARTICLES)
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°999 - 22/12/2011
Government department to be gutted?
In the wake of the PJD party’s electoral victory some are predicting the all-powerful interior ministry could become a shadow of itself. (...)  [166 words]   [€5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°989 - 13/10/2011
Rabat battles wheat price surge
With prices leaping on the world market for durum wheat, Morocco took the precaution last week doing away with import duties on the cereal that’s used in making bread, semolina and pasta. (...)  [231 words]   [€5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°987 - 29/09/2011
PJD sets conditions for legislative ballot
With the date for early legislative on Nov. 25 quickly approaching, horse-trading is underway between the parties to form pre-electoral alliances. At the heart of talks is the future role of the Parti Justice et Developpement (PJD), an Islamic movement that the royal palace and circles considered not so long ago to be their sworn enemy. (...)  [533 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°978 - 30/06/2011
Moatassim to battle PJD in ballot
Certain the referendum on constitutional reforms on July 1 will bring a largely positive response, royal circles are already jockeying to prepare early legislative elections, which they would like to take place as early as October. Their clear aim is to stand in the way of the Islamic Parti Justice et Developpement (PJD) which could very well come in first. (...)  [543 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°970 - 28/04/2011
"Clean Linen" operation to counter Feb. 20
To prevent the still-simmering street from focusing its fire on the business dealings of the king and his cronies, Mohamed VI is taking pre-emptive action. He has set the Cours de Comptes (Audits Court) at the very center of a “clean linen” operation to meet the demands of the February 20 Movement ’s protestors. (...)  [468 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°969 - 21/04/2011
Moncef Belkhayat
Moncef Belkhayat, Morocco's youth and sports minister, is taking an active part in a new lobbying campaign by Rabat to persuade major Arab media outlets to minimize the impact of the February 20 Movement when Moroccan protesters took to the street in great numbers. (...)  [69 words]   [€1,5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°961 - 24/02/2011
Mohamed VI picks lighter diet
With the street finally beginning to grumble in Morocco, royal circles are doing their utmost to shield king Mohamed VI. (...)  [260 words]   [€5]
Flurry of reforms
(5 ARTICLES)
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°977 - 23/06/2011
Mohamed VI seriously out of step
Designed to defuse a street revolt, a draft project for constitutional reforms that Mohamed VI presented on June 17 could well do exactly the opposite, igniting fresh unrest. The Palace nervously produced a few last minute corrections in the wording, at the risk of inflaming everybody. (...)  [546 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°975 - 09/06/2011
Reforms win France’s blessings
On the highly sensitive question of constitutional reforms, king Mohamed IV knows that he can at least count on unbending support from France, his strongest ally. (...)  [177 words]   [€5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°966 - 31/03/2011
Mohamed VI’s own revolution
Mohamed VI ’s moves towards establishing a constitutional monarchy came as a surprise even to his closest relatives. For instance, his brother, Moulay Rachid, is furious that he didn’t let the royal family into his decision to give the country a new constitution which, after all, affects the future of the monarchy. (...)  [149 words]   [€5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°965 - 24/03/2011
King finds cover in “regionalization”
The Commission Consultaltive de la Regionalisation (CCR) that was inaugurated in January, 2010 has submitted its report to Mohamed VI at exactly the right moment for him. (...)  [134 words]   [€5]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°962 - 03/03/2011
CES, a tepid remedy from royal palace
Faced with widening protests - new demonstrations are planned for March 6, 13 and especially the 20th, named “a million to march,” - the royal palace has responded by setting up a Conseil Economique et Social (CES). The forum, among any number of others formed by the king in the past, again chips away at the powers of government and Parliament. (...)  [545 words]   [€8]
A shake-up in high places
(4 ARTICLES)
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°998 - 15/12/2011
The "M6 generation" takes over at palace
One of the first consequences of the PJD party’s electoral victory was that after 12 years on the throne king Mohamed VI has injected fresh blood into his team of advisers and kicked out some of its members named by his father. (...)  [578 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°988 - 06/10/2011
Mohamed VI takes over foreign policy
Taieb Fassi-Fihri’s reign over Morocco’s foreign policy seems to be coming to an end. Maghreb Confidential understands Mohamed VI is intent on involving himself far more directly in diplomatic issues, a role he largely handed over to his minister when he came to the throne in order to devote himself to domestic affairs and burnish his image as “the people’s king. (...)  [546 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°972 - 19/05/2011
House cleaning in store at palace
It’s becoming increasingly clear Mohamed VI won’t be able to push through the reforms he has pledged without getting rid of the most maligned members of his inner circle. The king has just asked that a committee mulling changes to the constitution put forward the date it will present its findings to the end of May. (...)  [571 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°964 - 17/03/2011
Looks like end of the road for PAM
Fouad Ali El Himma and his Parti Authenticite et Modernite (PAM) could well be headed for oblivion. A first major change triggered by the February 20 Movement was El Himma’s virtual disappearance from the radar screen. The former interior minister and childhood friend of Mohamed VI has not spoken in public since unrest broke out. (...)  [573 words]   [€8]
The opposition lays battle plan
(3 ARTICLES)
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°979 - 07/07/2011
Islamists infiltrate February 20 movement
Morocco’s February 20 movement is in full disarray. Its demonstrations on July 3 - the first since Moroccans endorsed a referendum on constitutional reforms -showed to what extent the banned but tolerated Al Adl Wal Ihsane movement has succeeded in infiltrating the February 20 movement, which was leftist at the outset. (...)  [540 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°967 - 07/04/2011
How king plans to muzzle Islamists
Busy in “dealing” with the February 20 movement’s claims, the palace is also trying to stop Islamic radicals from riding on the coat-tails of protestors. Rabat wants to prevent them from disturbing the “constitutional process” and challenging king Mohamed VI ’s status as commander of worshippers. (...)  [543 words]   [€8]
MAGHREB CONFIDENTIAL n°963 - 10/03/2011
Oussama El Khlifi
Since the success of regime-change moves in Morocco led by young activists like computer expert Oussama El Khlifi (aged 23) and blogger journalist Nizar Benamate (26), the Movement du 20 Fevrier is being wooed by the “old generation” of militants. (...)  [121 words]   [€1,5]


Morocco | Mohamed VI | king | February 20 Movement | revolution | Maghreb | Arab Spring


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