In a difficult geopolitical context and a world characterised by the intensification of extremism, Morocco has made the choice of the democratic path that it fully assumes. In order to immune itself against the risk of any backward step and in order to make the democratisation process definitely irreversible, the Kingdom of Morocco has initiated a series of legislative and organisational reforms in order to enlarge and normalise the scope of liberties and democratic practices. In each step, the political parties, unions and NGO’s have played the role conferred to them by the constitution, which, in Article 3, stipulates that “political parties, unions, local communes and professional chambers contribute in the organisation and representation of citizens”. Freed from the obstacles of the past, the Moroccan society is getting used to “live politics differently”. In reconciliation with themselves and having integrated the rehabilitation of political action, Moroccans live, as said a high official “a perpetual May 68”. Accomplished in his five years on the throne, the innovation work of King Mohammed VI is only in its beginnings, but it progressively and profoundly transforms the Moroccan society.

The new concept of authority

A first demonstration of this change is the new concept of authority that has been formulated 3 months after the beginning of the reign of King Mohammed VI. A reference framework in rupture with the methods of the past, it has redefined the various missions of the authority, with, as objective, the setting up of proximity policy guaranteeing the protection of individual and collective liberties, the preservation of the rights of citizens, and assembling of the necessary conditions for the consolidation of the State of law.

The implementation of this concept has required the profound revision of a number of legislative and regulating texts, in order to create the right environment for its success. Within the framework of this reform, the mission of the Walis (regional governors) has been redefined and reorganised around economic issues, with clear social purposes.
Henceforth, the role of the State is no more limited to administrative management. It also aims at favouring economic development. The challenge is to simplify administrative procedures in order to facilitate and encourage investments that create high potential activities and therefore ensure more security and stability.

Revised in 2002 in anticipation to legislative and local elections, the electoral code introduced two major innovations: two new voting methods and the decrease of the voting age to 18 in order to allow the participation of the youth. The setting up of a national list allowed a better political visibility of women, 30 of them having entered Parliament. These reforms made of the legislative elections of September 27, 2003, the most transparent elections in the history of Morocco. The process is only at its beginning and has to be tested on several occasions, but it has the credit of having installed Morocco among the nations that base their choice on the effective and free engagement of their populations.
Keen on favouring citizens’ participation, the Press Code and that of associations is also revised with the aim of ensuring more liberty of expression and a more important participation of civil society organisations in the socio-economic life of the country.

But the real manifestation of participative democracy is that which is already exerted through local communes, to whom the reform adopted under the reign of King Mohammed VI gave large competences. Decentralisation, de-concentration and regionalisation, which remained for long years in the stage of projects, became a reality thanks to the dynamism created by the new concept of authority.

The renovation of the judicial system

The reform of justice, initiated in the beginning of the 90’s, gained a real impulse ten years later in the direction of reinforcing its authority and independence.

The updating of the sector concerned the strengthening of democracy through the implementation of the rule of the equity of all citizens before the law and by the creation of specialised jurisdictions such as administrative courts, commerce courts and family courts. The reform also concerned the renovation of the penal code, the strengthening of the protection of the rights of children and women, mainly through the harmonisation of national legislation with the international conventions ratified by Morocco, in particular the convention on the right of children and the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

Another major reform in this sector is the suppression of the Special justice Court. The abandon of this institution has allowed the establishment of the principle of the equity of all citizens before the law and the respect of the independence of justice. This court, created in the middle of the 60’s, was specialised in the sanctioning of violations related to embezzling of public money, corruption and abuse, following an exceptional procedure not in conformity with common law, in terms of investigation, suit and judgement.