"Morocco votes on king's constitution" July 02, 2011|Associated Press
BENSLIMANE, Morocco - Moroccans braved searing temperatures yesterday to vote for a new constitution their king says will bring the country much-needed democratic reform.
While the constitution is expected to be approved by a landslide, the real test will be in the turnout indicating whether Moroccans have faith in the reform process of 47-year-old King Mohammed VI.
The February 20 prodemocracy movement, with demonstrations across the country that persuaded the king to amend the constitution, has called for a boycott, denouncing the new document as little more than window dressing on a monarchy that continues to be absolute.
The voters who showed up at the nearly 40,000 polling stations across the country tended to talk more about their faith in the king rather than a new constitution.
"There has already been so much progress, and it is much better than before," said Cafile Roqiya, a 54-year-old teacher as he prepared to cast a yes vote in Benslimane, a city 45 miles from Rabat. "The king has kept us stable and at peace amid much upheaval."
That was true in Libya, too.
A popular tourist destination, this generally stable Muslim kingdom is a staunch United States ally in a strategic swath of North Africa that has suffered terrorist attacks, and in recent months, uprisings against autocratic regimes.
Morocco had been swept by prodemocracy demonstrations protesting a lack of freedoms, a weak economy, and corruption.
But since they are a U.S. ally we don't care about those last three things.
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Related: Moroccan King Tries to Mollify Mob
Didn't work:
"Thousands of prodemocracy activists in Morocco demonstrated across the country yesterday, two days after the king’s new constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum.
The February 20 democracy movement, whose demonstrations over the past few months prompted King Mohammed VI to initiate his own reforms, showed it could still bring thousands into the streets.
The movement, which is calling for a parliamentary monarchy, has rejected the amended constitution, saying it still leaves most powers in the king’s hands and does little to address society’s problems.
At least 2,000 people marched through downtown Rabat chanting slogans decrying corruption and the new constitution. Pockets of government supporters could be seen in the streets near the demonstration, but police kept the two groups separated.
But in Morocco’s largest city, Casablanca, the two groups clashed, with supporters of the king hurling stones and chasing democracy . There were also demonstrations in Tangiers and Marrakech.
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Maybe a kiss would work better; maybe not.
