POLITICAL DISILLUSIONMENT AMONG MOROCCAN YOUTH

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000044 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI MO SUBJECT: POLITICAL DISILLUSIONMENT AMONG MOROCCAN YOUTH ¶1. (SBU)Summary: A series of conversations with university-educated middle class Moroccan youth revealed negative and/or apathetic opinions towards their country's politicians and the political system in general. They reported that politicians were corrupt, indifferent to the needs of the people, and solely interested in serving their own interests. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Through a series of conversations and an informal survey with predominately undergraduate English students (roughly 21-22 years old and equally mixed male and female) on politics at Dar America and Bem Sik University, consulate general intern was able to gauge the mood of Morocco's youth. By far the most common response to questions about politics was apathy. Despite being queried for their opinions on the government and the upcoming municipal elections in June of 2009, the young interlocutors demonstrated little interest in the subject. Most people described politics as boring or politicians as useless at best and corrupt liars at worst, and then proceeded to change the subject. Only one person among the several dozen the intern spoke with said she had voted in the parliamentary election of 2007. The lone voter, a 22 year old English student at Bem Sik University, said she voted for the Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) out of a desire for an alternative from the current political malaise. ¶3. (SBU) This apoliticism among students starkly contrasts with their interest in international political events, such as the crisis in Gaza and the election of President Obama of which most students were quite aware and about which they were passionate. Dar America events on the inauguration of President Obama drew large, well-informed audiences. Questions about whether and for whom Americans voted for were common. When asked to provide answers to the same questions relative to Morocco, many students simply changed the subject or gave rather negative evaluations such as saying that Moroccan politicians are just "liars". ¶4. (SBU) Similarly, interest in "government" in general (as opposed to simply political competition and elections) in the form of government services was also near nonexistent aside from government scholarships. When the intern was visiting Bem Sik, around twenty students were protesting the lack of resources and the school administration; however, it did not appear that these protests were linked to any wider organized political activity such as voting or volunteering for a political party. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: Overall, Moroccan students described a rather distant political system which did not interest youth. The students' attitudes may in part be ascribed to general cynicism and disinterest in politics amongst youth which is not unique to Morocco. There is little doubt that Moroccan political parties and the government need to make greater strides to encourage youth participation in civil society and politics. Millard