Islamists eye Morocco polls

[Marcus Marulus]

Islamists eye Morocco polls

Wednesday, September 05, 2007


RABAT: Morocco’s main Islamist party hopes to become the country’s largest political force in Friday’s legislative elections, but analysts warn its chances of entering government are slim.

“We are eager, we hope to win 80 (of 325 parliamentary) seats and maybe even more,” said Lahcen Daoudi, one of the main leaders of the Justice and Development Party (PJD). The party’s secretary-general, Saad Eddine Othmani, was more cautious, predicting: “We will be first with a million votes and a little over 70 seats.”

Two opinion polls carried out last month suggest the PJD is currently ahead of its two main rivals in the north African kingdom, the USFP (Socialist Union of People’s Forces) and Istiqlal. In the 2002 elections, the USFP won 50 seats, while the Istiqlal nationalist party came second with 48. The Islamists have 42 seats.

But political analyst Mohamed Darif warned against putting too much faith in opinion polls. “In a conservative society such as Morocco, people do not vote for political groupings but for individuals based on religious and ethnic criteria, and only then consider their political programme,” he said.

Toufik Benqaraach, a member of the International Centre of Strategic Studies and Global Governance which carried out one of the opinion polls, said the support for the PJD was a protest vote.

“This reveals a weariness among the population towards the traditional parties, and a desire to test those who have yet to win power,” he said. He also noted that the influence of religion in Morocco plays in favour of the PJD, whose programme is based on “an Islamic framework and the democratic choice”.

The party’s electoral platform states that “Islamic sharia law should become the main source of legislation in the kingdom”. It also proposes the appointment of two ulema to the constitutional court to ensure the “compatibility of laws with sharia”.

But the PJD rejects any comparison with the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) in Algeria, a party which started out with similar goals but turned to armed struggle after the army called off elections it was poised to win.

“Morocco produced the PJD and Algeria produced the FIS — they are not the same thing. Algeria is not Morocco,” said Abdelilah Benkirane, director of the Islamist daily Attajdid. The Islamists entered parliament for the first time in 1997 with nine seats, and increased this to 42 in the 2002 elections.

But even if they become the largest party in parliament after the Sept 7 polls, which are being contested by 33 parties, they would have to ally with others to form a government. The main parties have already said they will pursue their existing coalitions without the Islamists.

The PJD is hoping for a change of heart after the elections.

Othmani has reached out to his opponents, while Benkirane recognises that “at the moment, no party is keen to work with us, but if we come first and if the king calls on us, the situation will change”.

However Darif, the political analyst, said the chances of the PJD entering government were “minimal” because King Mohammed VI, who appoints the prime minister, would prefer to keep them in opposition.

This would be “so as not to clear space for Adl Wal Ihssane”, an influential Islamic association which, although critical of the monarchy and in favour of an Islamist state, is tolerated. It is boycotting the elections. Darif added: “It is the king who will decide but I do not think he will want to upset the Moroccan Islamist order at a time when al-Qaeda is looking to grow in the Mahgreb.”

[source]

[Menydh]

The results of these elections could bring some fun. Even if the Islamists have a sounding victory, the king will still be reluctlant to offer them the office of the Prime Minister. So if they managed to win an outright majority, there could be upheavals in the country.

However, it is very difficult to win an outright majority in Morocco, because of its much fragmented political arena (33 parties) which makes coalitions necessary to form any government.

But even then trouble could happen if they win a substantial support.

[Kernunnos]

Some italian necons were just explaining on the necon website Il Legno storto - Home how Maroc can be an example of moderate Islam.

This after having admitted that islamism has stealthily defeated kemalism in Turkey.

Now, bereft of their favourite moderate-islam-that-really-can-exist-in-the-face-of-you-all-fascist-pessimist, the neocons are extolling the moderate islam of Morocco.

We will have som fun there too.


Go islamists go .. the more you destroy the myth of the existence of a moderate islam the less we will have an economical first and polirtical after union with North Africa, as desired by your freemasonic puppets.

[Marcus Marulus]

There is a project underway to create a neo-connish version of Islam.

Mustafa Akyol: "Fight the radicals from commom ground"

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Plethon

There is a project underway to create a neo-connish version of Islam.

Mustafa Akyol: "Fight the radicals from commom ground"

Credible, viable, nothing but a Bright Future of Happiness ...

A bit laughable, also

[Theobald]

Well, what we shouldn't forget is that the Turkish AKP and the Moroccan PJD are to islamism what Gianfranco Fini and Jorg Haider are to European nationalism.

[Lucas Corso]

Originally Posted by Breha

Some italian necons were just explaining on the necon website Il Legno storto - Home how Maroc can be an example of moderate Islam.

This after having admitted that islamism has stealthily defeated kemalism in Turkey.

Now, bereft of their favourite moderate-islam-that-really-can-exist-in-the-face-of-you-all-fascist-pessimist, the neocons are extolling the moderate islam of Morocco.

We will have som fun there too.


Go islamists go .. the more you destroy the myth of the existence of a moderate islam the less we will have an economical first and polirtical after union with North Africa, as desired by your freemasonic puppets.

They've still not learned from when they were healping the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan against the Soviets...

[Marcus Marulus]

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's conservative Istiqlal party, part of a ruling coalition, won most seats in assembly polls according to results issued on Saturday, but opposition Islamists said they had been robbed of victory by vote buying.

Conservatives win Morocco polls, Islamists cry foul - Yahoo! News