Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09RABAT701
2009-08-17 07:11:00
SECRET
Embassy Rabat
Cable title:  

KING MOHAMMED VI'S FIRST TEN YEARS: SOCIAL AND

Tags:  PGOV ECON EAID PHUM SOCI KDEM KMPI MO 
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VZCZCXRO3899
RR RUEHTRO
DE RUEHRB #0701/01 2290711
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 170711Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0567
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION WASHINGTON DC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RABAT 000701 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA, NEA/PI, DRL/NESCA, AND NEA/MAG
AID/W FOR MEA, EGAT, GH, AND DCHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2024
TAGS: PGOV ECON EAID PHUM SOCI KDEM KMPI MO
SUBJECT: KING MOHAMMED VI'S FIRST TEN YEARS: SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC ADVANCES OUTPACE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

RABAT 00000701 001.2 OF 004


Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i., Robert P. Jackson for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 RABAT 000701

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA, NEA/PI, DRL/NESCA, AND NEA/MAG
AID/W FOR MEA, EGAT, GH, AND DCHA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2024
TAGS: PGOV ECON EAID PHUM SOCI KDEM KMPI MO
SUBJECT: KING MOHAMMED VI'S FIRST TEN YEARS: SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC ADVANCES OUTPACE DEMOCRATIC REFORMS

RABAT 00000701 001.2 OF 004


Classified By: Charge d' Affaires, a.i., Robert P. Jackson for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: King Mohammed VI has successfully advanced
social and economic reforms during the first ten years of his
reign, but he has not done as much to promote structural
democratic change in Morocco. The King can be credited with
implementing many significant reforms in human rights,
women's rights, freedoms of speech and the press, education,
infrastructure, and the economy that have positively impacted
the daily lives of Moroccans. Reforms have also been made in
the political realm, particularly in the area of election
transparency, but in the Mission's view much-needed
structural changes have been addressed only symbolically.
Democratic institutions, like Parliament and the judiciary,
remain weak and underdeveloped, while the Palace continues to
dominate political processes. Nonetheless, the USG can be
proud of the role it has played in the reforms of the last
ten years. End Summary.

--------------
Huge Social Reforms
--------------


2. (U) When King Mohammed VI of Morocco succeeded his father
in July 1999, he made several gestures signaling the
beginning of a more progressive era that would be focused on
internal reforms. In his first speech, the new King defended
women's rights and also spoke out against the poverty,
institutionalized injustice, and corruption that
characterized Moroccan society. He called for a new concept
of authority based on accountability, human rights, and
individual freedom. The tenth anniversary of King Mohammed
VI's accession to the throne is a suitable time to consider
progress on these Royal initiatives.


3. (U) Prominent among the reforms of the past decade been
has been the promotion and strengthening of human rights.

The King created the Equity and Reconciliation Commission
(IER) in 2004 to identify past human rights abuses from the
repressive period in the 1970s and 1980s known as the &Years
of Lead,8 compensate victims, and propose new laws closing
legal loopholes in order to ensure that such abuses are not
repeated. The IER was reinforced by the prerogatives of the
Consultative Council on Human Rights (CCDH),set up in 1990
and reinvigorated in 2001, to consolidate human rights and
reconcile Moroccan society with its past.


4. (U) King Mohammed VI made the promotion of women's rights
another cornerstone of his efforts to build a modern and
democratic society. Early in his reign, he announced the
reform of the Family Code, known as the Moudawana, in order
to establish greater equality between husband and wife. Put
into effect in 2003, it created obstacles to polygamy, raised
the legal age of marriage to 18, and gave greater rights to
women for divorce and financial support, among other reforms.
His wife, Princess Lalla Salma, has an unprecedented public
profile, an anti-cancer foundation, and does not wear a veil.
In 2005, reform of the nationality code enabled Moroccan
women married to foreigners to transmit Moroccan nationality
to their children. Moroccan authorities, however, continue
to make it difficult for families to name their children
using Amazigh (Berber) names, citing the non-Arab/Muslim
character of such names.


5. (U) Women's participation in the management of public
affairs has also improved, and the representation of women in
decision-making positions in Parliament as well as central
and local government has increased significantly. Likewise,
the role of women's community organizations has been
strengthened. In the religious realm, Morocco has trained
over 200 female preachers (&mourchidats8) whose mission is
to act as spiritual counselors, raise female awareness of
their rights, and fight against extremism. Owing to initial
success, Morocco's Ministry of Islamic Affairs currently
trains approximately 50 &mourchidats8 annually, and plans
to expand the program.


6. (U) King Mohammed VI,s rule has created an overall
improved climate for free speech and press when compared to
the 38 years of his father's reign, but there are occasional
setbacks. Leading periodicals, newspapers, and news programs
increasingly challenge what have traditionally been
considered the three &taboo8 topics or red lines: the
inviolability of the monarchy, the primacy of Islam in
Moroccan society, and the territorial integrity of Morocco,
i.e., the acceptance of Western Sahara as an integral part of
Morocco. However, by Western standards, there remains much

RABAT 00000701 002.2 OF 004


work to be done. In the past two years, increasingly
exorbitant fines have been levied on journalists as the
result of flimsy defamation suits, and several bloggers were
sentenced to jail, albeit for brief terms. Government
authorities also have confiscated publications. In July
2009, for example, all copies of two prominent weekly news
magazines were seized to prevent dissemination of an opinion
poll on the King's performance, the outcome of which,
incidentally, showed that he enjoyed overwhelming support.


7. (U) The National Initiative for Human Development (INDH),
launched by the King in 2005, has been a landmark program
designed to speed up socioeconomic development and balance
regional inequalities by reintegrating the most marginalized
members of society. INDH has implemented several large
infrastructure projects, building or upgrading harbors,
airports, and road and rail networks, as well as several
sectoral strategies, including overhaul of the tourism and
agricultural sectors. Rural electrification in Morocco went
from 39 percent in 1999 to 98 percent in 2009.


8. (U) In 2001, the King called Morocco's many slums a
source of social frustration, exclusion, and delinquency,
warning that their continued existence was a threat to social
cohesion and a contributor to extremism. The program
&Cities Without Slums8 was launched to replace slum
dwellings with decent housing for the estimated five million
Moroccans living in squalor, and to combat the proliferation
of new slums.


9. (U) The INDH also promotes the rights of the disabled,
estimated at about five percent of Morocco's population, by
revising laws and striving to raise awareness of the need for
disabled access and incorporation into mainstream education,
health, and transport systems, as well as housing planning.


10. (U) The 2004 labor code reform brought Moroccan
legislation up to international standards, increasing work
flexibility and simplifying labor laws. Health care reforms
in the same year increased basic health care insurance and
accessibility to care in rural areas. The changes also
raised hospital hygiene and emergency treatment standards,
while instituting some anti-corruption measures in the health
care system.


11. (U) Educational reform, although launched by the late
King Hassan II at the end of his reign, has proven to be
difficult for King Mohammed VI to advance. There have been
some successes: over the last nine years, enrollment in
primary school has increased from 52 to 92 percent; in middle
school from 18 to 32 percent; and in secondary school from 6
to 15 percent, but reform expectations have not been met.


12. (U) Although education has become more accessible and
the gender gap among school children has decreased, Morocco
still faces high illiteracy rates (around 50 percent for the
country as a whole) and low rates of secondary school and
university enrollment. High dropout and repetition rates
suggest internal inefficiency and poor educational quality.
Geographic disparities exist at all educational levels.
Moroccan authorities have attempted to address cultural and
linguistic diversity with the introduction of
Amazigh-language courses in certain schools, although the
courses are not standard offerings.

--------------
and Considerable Economic Strides Forward
--------------


13. (U) Morocco's economy has witnessed steady growth,
liberalization, and diversification during Mohammed VI's
reign. GDP growth averaged 3.8 percent for the first half of
the 10-year period, and it accelerated to 4.8 percent from
2004 through 2008. GDP is expected to grow over 5 percent in

2009. Agriculture's share of the GDP has fallen from 20
percent in 1998 to about 16 percent today, while service
sectors have concomitantly grown in importance. Through
national strategies of industrial production, tourism
development, outsourcing, green energy production, and
shipping, among others, the country has sought to position
itself better in the global economy. It is as still too
early to judge whether these multi-year strategies have had
the desired effect.


14. (U) Morocco has also sought to strengthen and modernize
its public finance system and the private sector. The Bank
Al-Maghrib has become a more modern and independent central
bank. The GOM's public finances have drawn on strengthened

RABAT 00000701 003.2 OF 004


tax collection practices to achieve an average deficit of
less than two percent of GDP, even finishing 2007 and 2008 in
surplus. As a result, Morocco's total public debt has
declined from over 60 percent of GDP to about 50 percent.
The country has also pursued a policy of full or partial
privatization of many state-owned enterprises, resulting in
increased government revenue and sectoral efficiency.


15. (SBU) The effect of the broad range of economic and
development policies is visible, literally, on the landscape,
where construction is booming. Furthermore, according to
official statistics, unemployment has dropped from 14 percent
in 1999 to 9.5 percent by 2009, while average per capita
income has risen by approximately five percent in real terms
over that period. Economic benefits are unequally
distributed, however, and improving the standard of living of
the poorer segments of society remains a critical concern,
both to avoid social unrest and to reduce the economic burden
of costly policies such as general subsidies for food and
fuel.

--------------
But Structural Political Reform Creeps Along
--------------


16. (U) International observers considered Morocco's 2007
legislative elections and 2009 local elections generally free
and fair, with only isolated irregularities reported. High
illiteracy rates in the country, as well as vote-buying in
some areas, remain challenges to further development of the
electoral system and participatory democracy. Many political
parties have, with the encouragement of King Mohammed VI,
become more internally democratic and transparent. A vibrant
NGO sector helps promote an understanding of democratic
processes and the crucial roles citizens play in elections.
Nonetheless, voter turnout was estimated at 37 percent in the
2007 elections and 51 percent in the 2009 local elections.


17. (C) The current system of national, regional, and local
government developed under the late King Hassan II in an era
when the monarchy was concerned with consolidating its power
in Moroccan society. The system is designed in such a way
that political parties expend much of their energy competing
with one other for ministerial posts and royal favor. This
leaves the Palace in a dominant position, often manipulating
political parties to ensure that no one becomes too strong or
threatens Palace domination. The largest political parties
with long institutional histories, such as Istiqlal
(Independence) and the Political Union of Socialist Forces
(USFP),have been discredited by decades of participation in
the corrupt and tightly controlled electoral games fabricated
and managed by the late King Hassan II. In such a system,
structural political changes come slowly and only at Palace
impetus.


18. (C) By the time King Mohammed VI inherited the throne,
this &gilded cage8 party system had largely co-opted all of
the major political parties, completing consolidation of the
Palace's power base. Ironically, because this patriarchal
system has been structurally and psychologically
institutionalized over the years, it is poorly equipped to
implement the political reforms now being called for by civil
society and political leaders. These include creating a
system of checks and balances between branches of government
and the Palace, strengthening the powers of the Prime
Minister and other Ministers, ensuring judicial independence,
fighting corruption at all levels of government, recasting
the redundant role of the weak upper house of Parliament, and
devolving greater political powers to the regions. It may be
that the King recognizes the need to advance these reforms:
among the national priorities he mentioned in his July 30
Throne Day speech were the need for everyone to respect the
rule of law, judicial reform, and advanced regionalization.

--------------
Comment
--------------


19. (C) The Mission believes that, in order to have a
trusted political party ally in promoting political reform,
the King asked his former Secretary of State and close friend
Fouad Ali El Himma to form a party. As a result, El Himma
founded the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM); in
less than one year, it has become the most influential
political party in the country. The PAM fared very well in
the June 2009 municipal elections, and is predicted to do
similarly well in the next legislative elections, scheduled
to be held in 2012, perhaps even winning a clear majority of

RABAT 00000701 004.2 OF 004


seats in Parliament. If this occurs, it is likely that the
King would nominate El Himma to be Prime Minister, putting
him in a position to initiate greater structural reform in
the political arena and reconfigure power relations among the
Palace, national legislature, and regional and local
government.


20. (C) The first decade of Mohammed VI,s reign has been an
unambiguous success in many social and economic spheres, and
we anticipate that these trends will continue. Debate
continues, however, on the pace of democratic reforms.
However, we think most Moroccans would agree that the King is
sincere is his stated desire to see Morocco become a more
democratic state. Toward this end, the King appears to be
preparing the country for structural political and possibly
constitutional reform by fostering the PAM as a steward for
change.


21. (C) The USG can be proud of the role it has played in
the reforms of the last ten years. USAID has been at the
heart of reforms in education, local governance, women,s
rights and political participation. It has strengthened
agriculture and improved the business and investment
climates. The Free Trade Agreement has changed the way
Moroccans think about commerce, and it has certainly
attracted investors to Morocco. The Middle East Partnership
Initiative (MEPI) and the Peace Corps have both encouraged a
range of reforms and enhanced development. The Millennium
Challenge Account (MCA) has supported the INDH and provided
the model for Morocco,s agricultural reforms and changes in
the fishing and crafts industries. The Embassy and the
Consulate General have pushed and continued to push for
additional democratization and human rights, as we combat
corruption, extremism, illiteracy, narcotics, and trafficking
in persons. Looking ahead, our Mission Strategic Plan and
Country Assistance Strategy are designed to aid youth and
women in particular, but even with the MCA, USAID, MEPI,
Peace Corps, other USG, and other donors, programs, Morocco
still has a long way to go to meet the Millennium Development
Goals and to become a constitutional monarchy. End comment.


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Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website;
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*****************************************

Jackson