Moroccan Opposition Steps Up Boycott Calls for Upcoming Election

MMoroccan opposition activists have increased calls for boycotting this week’s parliamentary election, stating “it will produce a corrupt assembly unwilling to implement the radical reforms they believe the country needs.” ”We are calling for a boycott because the constitution is not democratic and … allows the royal court to dominate the military, the executive, the religious and the judicial authorities,” said Najib Chawki, an activist with the February 20 Movement. After several months of protests, the upcoming elections will serve as a test of whether King Mohammed VI will keep his commitment of moving closer towards a democracy and cede some of his powers.

The February 20th movement has stated the upcoming elections will ignore many key issues such as income inequality, unempolyment, and rampant corruption, as “these elections will be marked with a weak voter turnout, and that will strengthen our movement,” predicted Ouidade Melhaf. Human Rights Watch stated Moroccan authorities should stop harassing boycotters, as police have brought in 100 people for questioning over distribution of pro-boycott literature.