Government^{_________________________}

NAME

Official Name: al-Mamlaka al-Maghrebia ( Kingdom of Morocco )

Conventional Short Fom: Al Maghrib ( Morocco )

GOVERNMENT TYPE

Government type: Constitutional Monarchy

INFORMATION

Capital: Rabat

Administrative Divisions: 14 regions- including Western Sahara (disputed territory)

Independence : 2 March 1956 (from France )

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal (as of January 2003)

LEADERS

King: King Mohammed VI was enthroned in July 1999 after the death of his father Hasssan II. Since his enthronement, his has tackled a series of political, economic, and social changes. He has become known as the king of the poor as a result of his stated priority to fight against poverty in Morocco , and increase access to basic services for all people. He has also been instrumental in significant advances in the status of women in Morocco . One of his key reforms has been a family law (called Mudawana) in effect since 2004 that grants more rights to women. His wife, Salma Bennani (married in 2002), has also become the first royal wife to become a public figure (ie. exposed to media), and the people love their princess.

Some of these dramatic reforms have provoked opposition from religious conservatives, and King Mohammed VI has proved himself skilled at delicately dealing with Islamist parties while pursuing a modernizing course. He has also proved himself adept in responding to previous human rights violations in Morocco . This has included a closure of all officially non-existent prisons, as well as easing the restrictions on the press.

Executive branch:

chief of state: King Mohammad VI (since 30 July 1999 )
head of government: Prime Minister Driss Jettou (since 9 October 2002 )
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch

foreign minister: Mohamed Benaissa

finance minister: Fathallah Oulalou
elections: the king is hereditary and the prime minister is appointed by the king following legislative elections

Legislative branch:

Parliament consists of an upper and lower house of Representatives. The upper house consists of 270 seats elected by local councils and organizations for nine-year terms. The lower house of representatives consists of 325 seats elected by popular vote for five-year terms.

JUDICIAL BRANCH

Supreme Court: Judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary.

Legal System: Based on a combination of Islamic law, and the French and Spanish civil law system.

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

Morocco ’s greatest international dispute relates to the Western Sahara . While Morocco claims and administers the land, its sovereignty remains unresolved. A UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since 1991. There have been many attempts to hold a referendum, but so far all proposals have been rejected.

There is also a dispute over Spain ’s control of the coastal enclaves of Ceuta , Melilla , and some islands and surrounding waters.

Other international issues involve the use of Morocco as a transit point for illegal migration and drug trafficking to Europe . Morocco is also an illicit producer of hashish targeted at Western Europe .