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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2007, page 68 Human Rights Moroccan MP Assesses Elections
THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC Institute held a Feb. 7 briefing in Washington, DC on the upcoming Moroccan parliamentary elections. Member of parliament Khalid El Hariry reflected on his country’s past elections and some possible outcomes of the approaching 2007 elections. Although “elections in Morocco are neither new nor revolutionary,” El Hariry noted, there is “a history of irregularities or manipulations by the executive head. The 2002 election was recognized as free and fair by most observers,” he added, “and we expect the September 2007 election to compare with 2002.” El Hariry also discussed the reforms taking place in Morocco. “Since the mid-’90s reforms in Morocco have accelerated,” he said. “These reforms are building the human and institutional grounds for democracy.” He cited as the most impressive shift in recent years the increased status and strength of women in Moroccan society. The 2002 elections brought 35 women members to parliament, El Hariry noted, increasing Morocco’s ranking in Africa from one of the last to among the first in terms of women’s political participation. The parliamentarian ended the briefing on an optimistic note, expressing his hope in a more democratic Morocco. For more information, visit the National Democratic Institute Web site at <www.ndi.org>. —Marjan Asi |
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