 The "Assembly of Dormants" is the nickname used by Moroccans to refer to their Parliament (Chamber of Representatives). Since its establishment, the Moroccan Parliament and Parliamentarians have been the targets of jokes and sarcasm reflecting a wide cynicism of the average Moroccan toward an institution that is supposed to be at the heart of the fragile Moroccan "democratic" system. At the core of this popular attitude are two major factors, one is a flawed electoral system and the other is a pathetic political party landscape. Even tough the Moroccan electoral code is fair and adequate; in the past, Moroccan authorities have found a way to subvert it. Be it through "cooking up" the results or ignoring injudiciousness, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior had advance control of the final legislative results making a mockery of the electoral process. However, the latest legislative elections held in 2007 were more open and fair with fewer irregularities. Unfortunately this change of heart from the part of the government did not help in either improving the image of the legislative body, or in producing more astute Parliamentarians. With a turnout of just 37 percent, the lowest in the country's electoral history, the apathy of the Moroccan public is as high as it has ever been. This political indifference among Moroccan citizens is a sign of a political scene in crisis.
Beside the government inconsistent electoral enforcement practices, the role of the political parties has been as damaging to the reputation of the Moroccan Parliament and the efforts of Morocco to portray itself as an open and democratic society. In democratic societies engaging political parties are the engines of a healthy political system, and the heart of an engaged civil society. Most Moroccan political parties are failures on both counts. Be it the old guard of the Party for Independence (PI), Socialist Union of People's Forces (USFP), Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) or the new mini political parties that are mushrooming every other day, most of the Moroccan political formations are nothing but vehicles for the few rich and connected individuals to get elected to Parliament or land a Ministerial job. Once elected to the "magic house", a good number of the deputies start businesses, peddle influence for money or use their Parliamentary privileges for personal gains. It is a travesty that in the many years that Morocco had a Parliament and a Parliamentary majority formed government, few major pieces of legislations were drafted by the Chamber of Representatives and implemented by the majority government.
The notable exceptions to these ailing political entities are the newly formed The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) founded by Fouad Ali El Himma in the summer of 2008; and the "Islamist" Justice and Development Party (PJD) founded by the late Dr. Abdelkrim Al Khatib.
Albeit young and still in the process of being organized, the PAM is a fresh air in a moldy political house. Mr. El Himma, a Royal confident and a former State Secretary to the Interior, resigned from his government position to launch a successful run for Parliament; and went on to form a new political movement. The PAM's philosophy and platform are clear and well defined, partly because of Mr. El Himmas's closeness to the Palace and mostly due to the caliber and varied type of people that have been joining his party. PAM is positioning itself to be an alternative to the "Islamist" parties and give a voice to the millions of Moroccans who have had enough of the old political parties' inaction and corruption. As the name Authenticity and Modernity states, the PAM has for goal to keep modernizing the country without loosing its Islamic identity. This is music to the ears of local and foreign investors who were wary of an "Islamist" political tide wave during the 2007 elections and mindful of the ever-present political vacuum in the Moroccan political landscape. If the PAM manages to avoid the trap of being converted into a revolving door for unscrupulous characters who would like to use El Himma's closeness to the King to get favors, it will develop into a force to reckon with on the Moroccan political scene.
On the other side of the political spectrum and representing a more conservative agenda with a religious tone is the PJD. In Morocco, it is against the law to form a political party based on religion; however the Moroccan authorities tolerated the creation of this formation as an artery for the religious conservatives to express their views in a legal realm and connect with their base. Hoping that such move would undermine any efforts by radical groups to recruit youths unhappy with the traditional political parties and the state of affairs of the country, the Moroccan ministry of Interior has tolerated the activities of PJD. However, after the Casablanca bombing of 2003, the PJD suffered a great set back in its efforts to win over the average Moroccan and gave the Moroccan government an opening to scrutinize the activities of the party. Many of the declaration made by senior leaders of the PJD were not clear on where the party stands on several social and political issues, such as women's right, freedom of speech and the universality of human rights. In the parliamentary election of 2007, the PJD won the second most seats with 46 out of 325. This "poor" showing was a big shock to many observers who were expecting the PJD to win in a land slide. Under the leadership of their new Secretary-General Abdelillah Benkirane, the PJD is planning a come back. Mr. Benkirane is a charismatic leader, well spoken and intellectually brilliant. He loves the spotlight and do not shy away from an argument. The PJD has a very ambitious plan to fight corruption, nepotism and improve the social standing of the poor and the disfavoured. After years of Balkanization, it would be nice to have fewer parties competing for seats in the Parliament. Let's hope a PAM-PJD rematch energizes young people to get involved in political life and play a role in determining the future of their country.  Author: Hassan Masiky is a native of Kenitra, Morocco. He graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a degree in political science in 1991. Upon graduation, Hassan joined the Washington DC based non government organization the Parliamentary Human Rights Foundation (PHRF) where he worked as a consultant for USAID democracy projects in Mexico, Haiti, Republic of Georgia and the European Parliament. After leaving PHRF, Hassan dedicated his time advising Amnesty International USA on African and Middle Eastern affairs and representing the organization in press conferences. Mr. Masiky was a host on several television shows discussing human rights and democracy. He is currently working for a Federal Agency in the Washington area. hmasiky@gmail.com
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