Morocco's strides in building democracy highlighted by IP member

Morocco made obvious strides in the building of democracy by means of reforms undertaken to consolidate the rule of law and the respect of human rights, said Nizar Baraka, member of the executive committee of the Moroccan Istiqlal Party (IP).

In a presentation, Thursday in Paris, at a convention on democratisation in the Maghreb, Baraka said the reform of the family code enabled to advance women-men equality, adding civil liberties have been reinforced thanks to the substantial work of the justice and reconciliation commission (IER).

He recalled the constitution reforms in 1992 and 1996 enhanced the role of the Prime Minister and conferred more powers to the Parliament, as well as consecrated the region as a local government.

Baraka said one of the most important achievements is the breaking with the past and the organisation of fair elections in 2000, which helped clarify the political map and created a precedent in electoral practice.

He said it was important to speed up economic reform in Morocco to face population growth challenges and the opening of the economy onto the international scene, adding the European Union should help Morocco in this respect to shore up the transition process and advance democracy.

Baraka also said the EU should encourage investment flow to the South of the Mediterranean and support the four-party agreement between Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, as well as Maghreban integration.