Moroccan party calls for supperssing upper house

The Organization for Democratic and Popular Action (OADP/extreme left) called for suppressing the Chamber of Advisors, upper house of the Moroccan parliament.

The OADP called its partners in the democratic Koutla "to present a constitutional reform to suppress the second chamber, consolidate the prerogatives of the first chamber and the government.

The Democtatic Koutla musters OADP, the socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), the Istiqlal Party (PI) and the Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS). Unlike its three partners in the bloc, OADP does not participate in the government, led by USFP first secretary, Abderrahmane Youssoufi.

A 1996 constitutional amendment set up a bi-cameral system in Morocco, with a 325-seat- lower house (the house of representatives) and a 270-seat upper house (chamber of advisors). While the House of representatives is fully elected at the direct universal suffrage, the members of the upper house are elected at indirect poll.

The extreme left party, led by Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder, urged the authorities to guarantee the honesty and transparency of elections.