Moroccan premier rejects press reports challenging transparency of september's legislative polls

Moroccan premier, Driss Jettou, rejected this Wednesday claims by Moroccan weeklies "Le Journal Hebdomadaire" and "Tel Quel" that challenge the transparency of legislative elections held last September and that tend to discredit the upcoming communal elections.

The prime minister "totally rejects" these allegations that play down the considerable efforts made by the government and political parties to clear politics and consecrate democracy and the rule of law. These reports, the official release goes on, tend to discredit the constitutional institutions, sow doubts on the transparency and legality of the polls held last September 27 and discredit the upcoming (local) elections.

The two weeklies published stories claiming that the latest legislative elections were marred by irregularities and lacked transparency. Putting forward the disconnection of the interior ministry's internet site on the elections and the delay in the proclamation of results, they argued that results were "tailored."

The prime minister recalls that the 2002 legislative elections were the result of a large consensus among the political actors over the legal and administrative arrangements adopted to secure free and legal elections, citing as an example the proportional list polling system that was adopted for the first time and that naturally resulted in a delay in proclaiming results.

The unfolding of elections and the proclamation of results took place under the supervision of magistrates and under the control of delegates appointed by candidates or by heads of lists. Furthermore, the process is crowned with minutes with copies automatically sent to these delegates, the prime minister says.

Regarding the disconnection of the elections official site on the Internet, that was cited by the two papers as indicators of the rigging of elections, the prime minister said the disconnection of the web site, which is but an communication tool, is due to technical reasons, namely discrepancies noted during technical trials.

The prime minister explains that it was for these reasons that the site was suspended, insisting that this did not entail any effect on the electoral process itself.

The release also underscores the unanimity of the entire political class, and of national and international observers as to the rigor of the polls. Foreign observers have applauded these elections as a real breakthrough in the democratization process and as transparent, credible and sincere polls.

The government seizes this opportunity to reiterate its resolve to continue the pursuit of deepening the rule of law and expanding democratic gains and projects to continue to scrupulously see to the legality of the upcoming (local) elections, the release concludes.