Moroccan parliamentary election, 2002
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Moroccan parliamentary election was held in Morocco
on 27 September 2002. The election was the first since King Mohammed VI of Morocco
had come to the throne in 1999 and international observers saw it as a test of his commitment to democracy
. The election saw an Islamist party the Justice and Development Party
make strong gains but the outgoing government kept a majority in the Assembly of Representatives
.
were elected from 91 constituencies
. The new rules guaranteed women would be at least 10% of the Assembly of Representatives
by reserving 30 seats for them. In total 5,865 candidates from 26 political parties and 5 lists of independent
s stood in the election including 965 female candidates. With many voters illiterate, each party had different symbols such as a car, alarm clock, horse, wasp or lamp which were printed on the ballot paper
for voters to select.
Even the Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi
, agreed that previous elections in Morocco had been rigged
but the new King Mohammed VI had pledged that this election should be kept free. Indeed observers at polling station
s reported that the election was much cleaner than previous elections. The campaign
itself was low key with a low turnout
expected. Issues raised in the campaign included rising prices, a salary freeze, economic stability and improvements in education and public health
. Poverty and unemployment
, combined with the powers which the King had reserved to himself meant many people saw little reason to vote.
The only Islamist party to stand in the election, the Justice and Development Party
, did not stand in all of the seats to ensure it would not provoke violence such as had occurred in neighbouring Algeria
after the 1991 election. They supported the introduction of Islamic law
but pledged to work within the existing political system. The banned Islamist group Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane
was seen as being the popular group in the country but called on supporters to boycott
the election as they said it would achieve nothing.
remaining the largest party. Women won 35 seats in the legislature, a big increase from the two who had been elected in the 1997 election
.
Following the election King Mohammed VI appointed the Interior Minister
Driss Jettou
as Prime Minister and a new government was formed with roughly the same political parties supporting the coalition as before the election.
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
on 27 September 2002. The election was the first since King Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin . He ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father.-Education:...
had come to the throne in 1999 and international observers saw it as a test of his commitment to democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
. The election saw an Islamist party the Justice and Development Party
Justice and Development Party (Morocco)
The Justice and Development Party is the largest opposition political party in Morocco. The PJD advocates Islamism and Islamic democracy.-History:...
make strong gains but the outgoing government kept a majority in the Assembly of Representatives
Assembly of Representatives of Morocco
The Moroccan Parliament has two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives has 325 members elected for a five year term, 295 elected in multi-seat constituencies and 30 in national lists consisting only of women. The other chamber is the Assembly of Councillors.-See also:* Assembly of Councillors*...
.
Campaign
The election took place under a revised voting system in which 325 deputiesDeputy (legislator)
A deputy is a legislator in many countries, particularly those with legislatures styled as a 'Chamber of Deputies' or 'National Assembly'.-List of countries:This is an list of countries using the term 'deputy' or one of its cognates....
were elected from 91 constituencies
Electoral district
An electoral district is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body...
. The new rules guaranteed women would be at least 10% of the Assembly of Representatives
Assembly of Representatives of Morocco
The Moroccan Parliament has two chambers. The Assembly of Representatives has 325 members elected for a five year term, 295 elected in multi-seat constituencies and 30 in national lists consisting only of women. The other chamber is the Assembly of Councillors.-See also:* Assembly of Councillors*...
by reserving 30 seats for them. In total 5,865 candidates from 26 political parties and 5 lists of independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
s stood in the election including 965 female candidates. With many voters illiterate, each party had different symbols such as a car, alarm clock, horse, wasp or lamp which were printed on the ballot paper
Ballot
A ballot is a device used to record choices made by voters. Each voter uses one ballot, and ballots are not shared. In the simplest elections, a ballot may be a simple scrap of paper on which each voter writes in the name of a candidate, but governmental elections use pre-printed to protect the...
for voters to select.
Even the Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Abderrahmane Youssoufi
Abderrahmane Youssoufi is a Moroccan politician who served as the Prime Minister of Morocco from 1998 to 2002.-Early life:...
, agreed that previous elections in Morocco had been rigged
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
but the new King Mohammed VI had pledged that this election should be kept free. Indeed observers at polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
s reported that the election was much cleaner than previous elections. The campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
itself was low key with a low turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
expected. Issues raised in the campaign included rising prices, a salary freeze, economic stability and improvements in education and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
. Poverty and unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
, combined with the powers which the King had reserved to himself meant many people saw little reason to vote.
The only Islamist party to stand in the election, the Justice and Development Party
Justice and Development Party (Morocco)
The Justice and Development Party is the largest opposition political party in Morocco. The PJD advocates Islamism and Islamic democracy.-History:...
, did not stand in all of the seats to ensure it would not provoke violence such as had occurred in neighbouring Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
after the 1991 election. They supported the introduction of Islamic law
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
but pledged to work within the existing political system. The banned Islamist group Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane
Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane
Al Adl wal Ihsane is a Moroccan Islamist association, founded by Cheikh Abdesslam Yassine...
was seen as being the popular group in the country but called on supporters to boycott
Election boycott
An election boycott is the boycotting of an election by a group of voters, each of whom abstains from voting.Boycotting may be used as a form of political protest where voters feel that electoral fraud is likely, or that the electoral system is biased against its candidates, or that the polity...
the election as they said it would achieve nothing.
Results
The results saw the Justice and Development Party make strong gains and over doubled its vote share to become the third largest party in parliament. However the parties that made up the previous coalition kept a strong majority in the legislature with the Socialist Union of Popular ForcesSocialist Union of Popular Forces
The Socialist Union of Popular Forces, USFP, is a social democratic political party in Morocco...
remaining the largest party. Women won 35 seats in the legislature, a big increase from the two who had been elected in the 1997 election
Moroccan parliamentary election, 1997
Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 14 November 1997. The result was a victory for the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, which won 57 of the 319 seats in the Assembly of Representatives. Voter turnout was 58.3%.-Results:...
.
Following the election King Mohammed VI appointed the Interior Minister
Interior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
Driss Jettou
Driss Jettou
-Early life and education:Jettou was born in the town of El-Jadida. After secondary studies at El Khawarizmi college in Casablanca, he obtained a technical Baccalauréat in mathematics in 1964. He then joined the Faculty of Sciences of Rabat where he graduated in physics and chemistry in 1966...
as Prime Minister and a new government was formed with roughly the same political parties supporting the coalition as before the election.