King Mohammed of Morocco proposes Constitutional changes, but is it enough?

For 12 weeks, Citizens in Morocco have been gathering on the streets protesting for social and economic reforms. Atop the list of their demands are new elections for the members of Parliament and for King Mohammed to make amendments to the Constitution. 

Nabila Ramdani, a writer and analyst on North African issues: 

• "There are bleak socio-economic conditions in Morocco, as well as a lack of fundamental human rights, and he is trying to avoid an expression of the anger we have seen on the streets of many Arab countries"
• "There is also a gap between how the world views Morocco, and the largely dismissed internal problems of illiteracy, corruption, and unemployment."

Lahcen Hadad, member of the country's governing coalition

• "His powers have been reduced significantly in the sense that he is only the supreme leader of the armed forces and the commander of the faithful" 
• "Most of the executive powers and judiciary powers are given to other bodies so that is an important change - the king has accepted to share the power" 
• "I think that if you read the actual constitution and what he has announced now, there were no revolutionary reforms that he is announcing."

Rafai Touhami, a 60-year-old outside a Cafe:

• "It elevates the constitution and lets the king pull back so the people and the government can rule"
• "The king will always be there, though, since the political parties aren't ready to rule"

Mbarka Bouaida, a member of parliament from Casablanca

• "I think it's progressive. Probably we will need another constitution in 10 or 15 years, but we must go through this one first and give time for the political parties to be strengthened"
• "The real value-added of this constitution is that we are institutionalizing the politics."

Activists from the Pro-Democracy February 20 Movement

• Elaabadila Chbihna
• "Before we had an absolute monarch, now we have an absolute monarch that is a pope as well"
• "He just spoke about the good elements in the constitution and then passed over the controversial ones"
• Hicham Ben Abdallah El Alaoui, the king's cousin and a researcher at Stanford University
• "This scenario of a mock discussion among the same players as always, and a happy ending seems a foregone conclusion,"
• "Constitutional amendments that are 'good enough' will come out and be approved by referendum and the international community. This will give the regime some credibility for reform so that it can dismiss the demonstrators in the street as 'undemocratic.'"

A. K.