King Hassan responds positively to appeal submitted by election committee
Morocco, Politics, 12/2/1997

Sources in the Election Committee which comprises representatives from all political parties confirmed that the Moroccan Monarch King Hassan II approved the appeal submitted by the committee of election by consensus. The appeal requested that nominations for the election of the Council of Advisors ( the Second Chamber of Parliament) should be limited only to political party members. The election is due to be held on December 5.

The committee said that this request was submitted in order to differentiate between the duties of the members of the First Chamber and those of the Second Chamber of Parliament. The latter has legislative responsibilities, which include monitoring the performance of the government. It can also disband the government. This means that work in this chamber must be through a parliamentary coalition, a fact that does not contradict with the freedom of voters to choose their representatives in the provincial election.

Sources added that this development will make it inevitable for the independent candidates who were elected in the provincial election held last summer to join one of the political parties.

The campaigns for the December 5 election started yesterday. A Ministry of Interior statement said that the number of nominees reached 2,400. Those candidates are going to compete for 270 seats. Each 9 nominees compete for one seat.

The People's Movement has the most nominees, with 220. The Gathering of the Free came in the second place followed by the Independence Party while the Constitutional Union has 175 and the Socialist Union has 152 nominees.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan opposition accuses government of negligence in issue of buying votes   (11/17/1997)
  Moroccan monarch keeps extensive rights to control political activities   (11/17/1997)
  Moroccans use computers in election campaigns for first time   (11/12/1997)

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