Morocco's upper house passes draft election laws
Morocco, Politics, 7/26/2002

The Chamber of Advisers (parliament upper house) adopted Thursday two draft organic laws on elections to both parliamentary chambers: the House of representatives and the chamber of advisers.

The two drafts introduce amendments to two previous texts that the Constitutional Council had rejected as "unconstitutional."

In May, the Constitutional Council ruled that some provisions were unconstitutional and expressed reserves on some others.

The Constitutional Council ruled that members of the chamber of advisors should be ineligible to run for elections to the House of Representatives, unless they resign.

The Council also ruled as unconstitutional the provision instituting a single vote where the national list is taken into account automatically, on the basis of the regional list votes and expressed reserves on preventing persons who are not affiliated to any political party from running for elections.

According to the law, the adoption of the organic law should be done 45 days before the polling date (scheduled for September 27, 2002).

An official had stressed that the constitutional council ruling will not entail a delay in the elections timetable.

Majority parliamentary groups lauded the amendments, stressing the necessity to provide all conditions to make the electoral process a success.

On their part, opposition parliamentary groups criticized the way the two draft organic laws were elaborated, while the Democratic Labor Confederation (CDT) said the government respected the Constitutional Council's decision, but did not resolve the real problems.

The new wording will go back to the Constitutional Council.

Previous Stories:
  Arafat: present events worse than apartheid; praises support of King Mohammed   (7/6/2002)
  Morocco adopts amended laws to conform with consitutional rulling; elections on time   (7/4/2002)
  Elections not to be delayed by constitutional council ruling   (7/1/2002)

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