Morocco's alternation experience has become a model, King Hassan II says
Morocco, Politics, 3/3/1999

King Hassan II said on Wednesday that Morocco's alternation experience has become a model for other countries.

In a speech to the nation on the occasion of the Throne Day, marking this year the 38th anniversary of his enthronement, King Hassan II said "we have always adopted a pedagogical method to show the virtues of dialogue, consultation and consensus, as ingredient of governing."

The king underlined that alternation gives different political trends the opportunity to manage public affairs.

The term alternation is used in Morocco to refer to the coming to power of a center-left coalition government, led by Abderrahmane Youssoufi, leader of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, after decades of right-wing rule.

Alternation, King Hassan II said, also "helps the political trends get acquainted with the difficult task of governing and acquire a culture they did not have before." However, the sovereign said, in order to fulfill the expected objective, the alternation experience should not be restricted to the existence of a committed majority. It also requires the existence of an earnest opposition.

"Without this opposition there will be no alternation, no pluralism and no genuine democracy," King Hassan II said, explaining that the opposition's task "is to follow the government's action through earnest and alert criticism without falling into tendentious bias."

Opposition should not restrict itself to pinpointing shortcomings, it should rather propose options, he added.

The Moroccan opposition group gathers mainly the Constitutional Union, the popular Movement and the National Democrat Party.

King Hassan II also touched on the bicameral system, instituted in Morocco by virtue of a 1996 constitutional amendment, saying the decision to set up this system "was not made at random nor was it an imitation." It was rather an expression of our attachment to the popular and democratic principles of the Moroccan society, he said.

The king added that the institution of the bicameral system was also operated to materialize "the values of the constitutional, democratic and social monarchy" and open wider horizons for the people's representation at the national scale.

King Hassan II who termed the bicameral experience "promising," said the two chambers of the parliament showed a constructive spirit.

He added that the two houses' members, through their endeavors to deepen dialogue, consolidate consultation, far from any partisan and demagogic over-bids, will contribute to consecrating democratic practices in the country.

Previous Stories:
  Current events in Morocco are promising, says US ambassador   (11/20/1998)
  Moroccan officials outline Morocco's economic and political reforms   (7/2/1998)
  King Hassan's determination for change gave us courage, said Youssoufi   (6/25/1998)

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