| Published on: | 2011-02-17 17:19:38 |
Inspired in its neighbours, Morocco also wants to be part of the current wave of protests taking place throughout the Middle East. The Protests are planned for February 20.
The "Freedom and Democracy Now" movement, this group calls for radical constitutional reform in the kingdom and the introduction of real democracy. Last week, the opposition said the "autocracy" will be threatened unless it works on deep and significant economic reforms to improve population's life.
Some months ago, Morocco's reputation was damaged after WikiLeaks revealed allegations of corruption involving the royal family other people close to King Mohammed VI.
Morocco has been facing severe economic problems. It has announced an increase in state subsidies to try to counter commodity price rises.
The government seems to already be working on the reforms that its people demand. The government will add 15 billion dirhams ($1.8 billion) to the 17 billion dirhams allocated by the 2011 budget for the government's subsidy fund called Caisse de Compensation, the official MAP news agency said.
Despite these reforms, some non-government groups say little has changed, with poverty still widespread and unemployment remaining high.
A real need or a copy cat event?
As Morocco is the eleventh country taking part on the current Middle East unrest, questions are be asked regarding whether or not it is simply a copying a trend or whether there is a real need for change?
“Although what we see is, clearly, a series of copy cat activities in the region, it is premature to talk of a domino effect. The politics of each individual state are distinct, so it would be difficult to have the same impact overall,” said Dr Katerina Dalacoura, Lecturer in International Relations at The London School of Economics and Political Science, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook.
Even though demonstrations have liberated some countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, this does not mean that they will have the same affect on other countries. As Dr Dalacoura highlights, it is important to understand their differences: “Morocco is indeed an autocracy but its monarchy retains powerful control and still has, arguably, considerable legitimacy.”
By Eva Fernandez
[Image courtesy of Marcos Zion]
The "Freedom and Democracy Now" movement, this group calls for radical constitutional reform in the kingdom and the introduction of real democracy. Last week, the opposition said the "autocracy" will be threatened unless it works on deep and significant economic reforms to improve population's life.
Some months ago, Morocco's reputation was damaged after WikiLeaks revealed allegations of corruption involving the royal family other people close to King Mohammed VI.
Morocco has been facing severe economic problems. It has announced an increase in state subsidies to try to counter commodity price rises.
The government seems to already be working on the reforms that its people demand. The government will add 15 billion dirhams ($1.8 billion) to the 17 billion dirhams allocated by the 2011 budget for the government's subsidy fund called Caisse de Compensation, the official MAP news agency said.
Despite these reforms, some non-government groups say little has changed, with poverty still widespread and unemployment remaining high.
A real need or a copy cat event?
As Morocco is the eleventh country taking part on the current Middle East unrest, questions are be asked regarding whether or not it is simply a copying a trend or whether there is a real need for change?
“Although what we see is, clearly, a series of copy cat activities in the region, it is premature to talk of a domino effect. The politics of each individual state are distinct, so it would be difficult to have the same impact overall,” said Dr Katerina Dalacoura, Lecturer in International Relations at The London School of Economics and Political Science, who spoke exclusively to The Fresh Outlook.
Even though demonstrations have liberated some countries such as Egypt and Tunisia, this does not mean that they will have the same affect on other countries. As Dr Dalacoura highlights, it is important to understand their differences: “Morocco is indeed an autocracy but its monarchy retains powerful control and still has, arguably, considerable legitimacy.”
By Eva Fernandez
[Image courtesy of Marcos Zion]
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