Moroccan author Laila Lalami blogged her frustration with the article, saying:

Her contention that protesters outside Parliament were “politely” waving signs is bizarre. If she had spent any kind of time, day after day, watching what happened to them, she wouldn’t be praising their politeness or the police’s restraint. The elections themselves are really nothing to write home about: turn-out was low and the results were, as usual, entirely unsurprising. If this is what she qualifies as “transformation from authoritarianism to democracy” then Lord help us all.

On the Morocco Board forums, where Applebaum's original article was posted, many readers took issue with the article. One reader, Adiloss, seemingly agrees with Lalami:

It seems the journalist tourist is misled by some appearances. It's true that demonstrators in front of the parliament are often not disturbed by the police. They have been there even for months for some of them, but nobody cares.
The journalist didn't happen to pass by in one of those hot violent days were police officers can break the head of anyone they can lay hands on, even non demonstrator passers can be subject to violence and degrading verbal insults by police forces.

Lalami also commented on Applebaum's contentious statement that in Morocco, “though there is clearly a fashion for long, flowing head scarves and blue jeans, many women would not look out of place in New York or Paris,” stating:

It almost never fails. When a Western reporter goes to Morocco to write about the process of democratization, the resulting article will inevitably mention sartorial choices and give them positive or negative values. Jeans = good. Jellabas = bad. At Slate, Anne Applebaum visits Morocco and finds that many women “would not look out of place in New York or Paris.”

Another statement by Applebaum with which readers took issue was: “One thinks wistfully of the shah of Iran and of what might have been.” One Morocco Board reader, who calls himself Moroccan Patriot, decried the statement, saying:

Nothing this woman wrote is accurate. She might as well be a reporter for FOX news.

Morocco has serious issues that do not need 100 years to solve. They need those who are currently in charge to simply decide that they want to ENFORCE the current laws on the books.

There is NO accountability and NO uniform enforcement of the laws currently on the books. This is not an accident, this is by design. While certain degrees of this exist in all societies, it is seldom as blatent and in your face as it is in Morocco.

When you say things like, “think whistfully of the shah of Iran and what might have been”, you become very clear about your stated goal, the demonizing of Iran.

Of course, there were also those for whom at least pieces of the article rang true. Maghreb Blog commented:

A flattering portrait of Morocco in today's Washington Post. Anne Applebaum sets the kingdom as a model for “slow but profound transformation from traditional monarchy to constitutional monarchy, acquiring along the way real political parties, a relatively free press, new political leaders — the mayor of Marrakesh is a 33-year-old woman — and a set of family laws that strive to be compatible both with sharia and international conventions on human rights.” As I opined elsewhere, it would be a stretch claiming that Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, as the monarch still holds vast executive, legislative and discretionary powers.

Mazagan, yet another Morocco Board commenter, on a piece I wrote in response to Applebaum's piece (”Poor Alternatives“), compares the two viewpoints and finds both lacking:

In one, Morocco is the picture perfect Oriental student in line with the West marching orders and the FMI directions, in the other it is simply the lackey of the Imperialism and the oppressor of peoples’ freedom.

Moroccos’ [sic] reality does not fit perfectly in either prism. The electoral process has suffered a major setback, being recuperated by the oligarchy. Still within the country, there is still very healthy civic and political debate taking place.

Only time will tell, as Morocco's new political officers settle into their positions and its bloggers continue to analyze their governance.

Bloggers were mostly excited for Mansouri.  Popular blogger The View From Fez announced the news:

A 33-year-old lawyer on Monday became the first woman to be elected mayor of Marrakech, one of Morocco's biggest cities and a key tourist destination.

Fatima Zahra Mansouri outpolled veteran outgoing Mayor Omar Jazouli by 54 votes to 35 in Monday's municipal council vote, becoming the second woman to take a mayoral position in Morocco after Asmaa Chaâbi, mayor of Essaouira.

Maghreb Blog commented as well:

Just some breaking news from Marrakech: The first woman city mayor in Morocco has been voted in the red city's city council meeting today. Fatema Zahra al-Mansouri, a 33 year-old lawyer from the Party of Authenticity and Modernity, will assume the new responsibilities for the next six years, replacing Omar Jazouli who has been at the helm in Marrakech for 12 years. al-Arabiya reports what Sheikh Biyadellah, SG of PAM said: “reflects the image of a modern Morocco.”

The Twittersphere shared reactions to Mansouri's election and the election of a number of other women to council positions.  From Jerusalem:

Moroccan “tweep” Abdelilah Boukili pointed out that although there have only been two female Moroccan mayors, there are a number of Moroccan women holding lead positions in small towns, by noting:

Untitled picture of an Iranian protester by SIR on Flickr

Moroccan blogger Badr al Hamry [Ar] writing on Aghora, praises the role played by microbloggers and citizen media in covering the situation inside Iran, circumventing government restrictions and efforts to block access to main online platforms. He writes:

يوما بعد يوم تأكد صحافة المواطن أنها المستقبل بامتياز!
مناسبة هذا الكلام هــو ما قامت به السلطة الإيرانية و بكل قوة، منع الــعديد من المنابر الإعلامية والصحافية تغطية المظاهرات والاحتجاجات و نقل أخبارها للعالم، و تعطيل لخدمات الرسائل الهاتفية. في الوقت الذي حققت فيه مجموعة من المدونات على الأنترنيت انتصارا كبيرا / كمدونات الفيس بوك،و التويتر، و فليكر، و اليوتوب الموقع العالمي لشرائط الفيديو، محققة بذلك انتصار على كل سلطة تحاول منع تسرب أية معلومات خارج إيران، و خنق حرية التعبير.
و نظرا للاقبال الهائل الذي حققته تلك المدونات،و تغطيتها المتميزة للأحداث فقد وصفت هذه الحركة الإلكترونية من طرف المتتبعين بــــــ “الثورة” وهذا ليس غريبا على دولة يوجد فيها 23 مليون مشترك في خدمة الإنترنيت من أصل 70 مليون نسمة.

The central role new information technology seems to be playing in the Iranian crisis is apparently recognized even by the media run by governments who have a poor record as far as freedom of the Press is concerned. This double standard is what Tunisian blogger Khannouff is denouncing in this post [Fr]:

Dans son édition d’aujourd’hui la Pravda Tunisienne se permet comme toujours de parler (ou plutôt de copier coller intégralement les dépêches étrangères de presse), donc de s’étaler à propos des restrictions imposées aux ”autres”, ailleurs sans piper mot du quotidien sous haute surveillance qui est le notre.

Another Tunisian blogger The Overman [Ar], expresses his support for protesters and explained why he thinks allegations of electoral fraud are credible:

اكثر حاجة ظاهرة للعيان هي طريقة الانتخاب في حد ذاتها، و الي تتمثل في كتابة اسم المترشح على ورقة الانتخاب. و في حالة الي يكون فيها الناخب امّي، يقوم واحد من الحرس الثوري الموجودين في مركز الانتخاب بالعملية في بقعتو. و وقتلي نعرفو الي نسبة الامية في ايران حوالي 20% و الي الحرس الثوري يخدم تحت امرة المرشد الاعلى للثورة الاسلامية (الي عبر، ولو بصفة غير مباشرة، عن مساندتو لنجاد)، نفهمو الي امكانية التزوير ماهيش مستبعدة بالكل.
اضف الى ذلك انو في ايران ما فماش قوائم انتخابية : مجرد مضمون ولادة يعطيك الحق في الانتخاب. و بالتالي امكانية الانتخاب اكثر من مرة في اكثر من مكتب ممكنة.
من ناحية اخرى، تنتظر لجنة الانتخابات في العادة ثلاثة ايام قبل ما تمرر النتائج للمرشد الاعلى باش يصادق عليها. لكن الي صار في الانتخابات هذي انو السيد خامنئي وافق على النتائج فور صدورها، و هو ما يثير اكثر من سؤال حول مصداقية هذه النتائج

On the other side of the argument, Moroccan blogger Farid [Fr], writing on La croisée des chemins, rejects what he considers canards disseminated for political reasons against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Farid corroborates his position quoting international analysts and some mainstream media editorials:

L’analyse des résultats de l’élection présidentielle iranienne, au vu des votes précédents et des sondages commandés sur place par les États-Unis, ne laisse pas de doute : Mahmoud Ahmadinejad est largement réélu. Ceci n’est guère surprenant, observe le professeur James Petras : le peuple a voté pour un national-populiste, tandis que seules les élites occidentalisées ont voté pour le candidat libéral, chouchou des médias occidentaux. Le même phénomène a déjà été observé dans d’autres pays.

Unimpressed by the events unfolding in Iran, Massinissa [Fr] from Algeria, criticizes what he sees as a self deluded western discourse trying to portray Moussavi supporters as pro-democratic. He writes:

Le monde occidental a les yeux rivés sur l'Iran croyant naïvement qu'une révolution est en train de se produire et qui pourrait emporter le régime despotique en place depuis la chute du Chah. Mais à y bien regarder Ahmadinejad et Moussavi sont les deux faces d'une même pièce. Ils sont tous les deux inféodés au clergé qui décide de tout.

Tunisian blogger Citoyen du Monde (world citizen), blogging on Intras-Muros [Fr], explains how, regardless of whether the elections were rigged or not, he was captivated by the role microblogging played in the crisis. He warns though, about the dangers of what he calls “Infobesity”:

L’afflux permanent d’informations parfois non vérifiées[…] laisse à désirer, il serait dés lors difficile de vérifier leur véracité ainsi que la crédibilité de la source. De plus, il y a un risque de glisser dans l’infobésité, du fait qu’on est submergé par des flux informationnels dénichés à gauche et à droite et tweeter à la hâte. Sans oublier que ca peut être une redoutable armes propagandiste.

Sarah [Fr], a French blogger (Un Oeil sur la Planète) who follows Maghreb affairs, criticizes the Moussavi camp and explains that unless evidence of massive fraud is brought against the victors, losers should accept the will of the people of Iran. She writes:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a été réélu avec 63%. Au lieu de le féliciter comme tout opposant se revendiquant démocrate, Monsieur Hossein Moussavi, candidat favori des pays occidentaux, arrivé deuxième avec 33% réclame l'annulation du scrutin.
Désolée pour lui, mais ce sont les citoyens iraniens qui ont voté, et non les politiques et les médias étrangers, et les citoyens iraniens ont fait leur choix, c'est Ahmadinejad. C'est un coup dur pour lui, qui se croyait vainqueur car il avait le soutien des pays étrangers, et bien justement si les citoyens iraniens ne veulent pas de sa politique, qu'ils aiment bien avoir de la dignité contre un monde contrôlé par les plus forts, il n'a qu'à respecter leur choix.

Finally, Tunisian blogger Overman, wonders [Ar] whether there is any chance the Arab street would be contaminated by the winds of revolution that seem to be blowing from Tehran. he writes:

شخصيا يظهرلي انو يجب ربط الاحداث هذي بإلِّي قاعد يصير في العالم من عشرين سنة لتالي، بمعنى رغبة الشعوب الي تعيش في انظمة قمعية في الانعتاق : هالشعوب الي عانت طويلا من جراء التقوقع و الانغلاق على جميع المستويات (الاقتصادي و السياسي و خاصة الفكري والثقافي).
و السؤال الذي يطرح نفسه في الوقت الحالي بالنسبة لي هو : هل ستصل رياح التغيير هذه الى البلدان العربية، على الاقل في مستوى التوجه الشعبي ؟

Waiting for the King by Oh Mon Héros! on Flickr

Thirty parties were competing for the votes of some 13 million Moroccans who were called on Friday to elect nearly 20,000 local councilors for terms of six years. Over 30,000 polling stations were opened across the country including in the southern provinces of Western Sahara. Early media reports were describing a low turnout and, apparently, very few young people came out to vote.

Blogger and activist Mounir Bensallah [Fr] encourages his readers to cast their votes. He published an appeal by an association linked to a party close to the power inciting voters to participate in the poll. The quote reads:

[I]ls nous appartient d’être vigilants, en effet loin de céder au sirènes toujours sonnantes de la démocratie inachevée, il nous faut nous rappeler que la démocratie n’est qu’un processus qu’il appartient a chacun d’entre nous de faire vivre et fructifier[…]

ceux qui nous assènent que les élections communales ne sont que le faire valoir des notables de chaque ville, nous leurs répondons que si l’on peut gouverner de loin, on ne peut administrer que de près, et que si le parlement peut voter des lois, seul al 3oumda (le Maire) les fait appliquer.

Alors peu importe pour qui l’on choisi de voter, l’important c’est de décider pour notre pays, pour notre avenir et celui de nos enfants.

Threatened mainly by disaffection, municipal elections were described by international observers as a barometer; a mirror of communal political trends. The government fears mass abstention like the one that plagued legislative polls in 2007 when almost 65% of Moroccans didn't bother casting their vote.

Whilst the government announces a “51% turnout in those elections that took place in normal conditions, except for some minor incidents that did not affect the overall course of the polling” (source: MAP), some citizens ridiculed the process and complained about the relevance of a poll they deemed unfair. Badr al'Hamry blogging on Qalami[Ar], reports on a march that took place in the northern town of Nador where donkeys were symbolically paraded as fairer candidates worth voting for. He writes:

ان المسيرة الاحتجاجية التي شارك فيها حماران إلى جانب البشــر بمدينة الناظــور يوم الثلاثاء 03 يونيو، أقل ما يمكن ان يقال عنها أنها تحدثت بلسان حال تلك الجماعــة الحانقة مــن كل الخروقات التي عرفتها فترة ما قبل التصويت، و من المؤكد أنها قد عبرت عــن ما يخالج مشاعرها من أسى وتدمـر، نتيجة لمشاهد الفساد الذي تعرفه هذه الدورة الانتخابية كـاستعمال للمال لشراء الأصوات الانتخابية في غياب عين السلطات المسؤولة لردع هذا السلوك اللاقانوني.

Early results seem to be confirming some bloggers' concerns. Indeed, as announced by the interior ministry (the home affairs administration that runs the poll), “the results of 22,158 seats show that the freshly formed Modernity and Authenticity Party (PAM) has harvested most of the seats.” A party conspicuously linked to the royal palace -the king's party as it were- run by Fouad Ali El Himma, former classmate of the King Muhammad VI at the Royal College and whose parliament group has recently pulled out from the government coalition, in a move widely interpreted as a royal attempt to form a political group of his own.

Ibn Kafka [Fr] prolifically circumstantiates the creation of the -now almost certainly- victorious P.A.M. party. He describes how quickly the group became prominent, attracting…

… notables, politiques et célébrités des ONG comme le fumier attire les mouches.

Miloud E'shelh [Ar] describes electoral violations he came across. He enumerates 9 techniques used by cheating candidates:

1- خرق توقيت الحملة
2- تهديد المرشح
3- تزوير أوراق الاقتراع
4- تزوير الحبر
5- الاستيلاء على مكاتب التصويت
6- سرقة صناديق الاقتراع
7- إرشاء أو تهديد مراقبي الانتخابات
8- إتلاف أوراق الاقتراع عمدا
9- تأخير الإعلان عن نتائج الفرز

Earlier this week, Larbi [fr] apprehended the outcome denouncing a lack of credibility and prospects. He deplores:

Peu d’enjeux politiques, une classe politique jugée inapte et inefficace, un jeu institutionnel se rapprochant d’un pouvoir absolu. Ce n’est une surprise pour personne : l’abstention s’est installée depuis longtemps dans le paysage politique marocain. Et comme si tout cela ne suffisait pas l’ami du roi, et la tragi-comédie qu’il avait jouée ces derniers mois, est venu détruire le peu de crédibilité qui restait à ces élections.

Struggling to contain her disappointment and frustrations, Najlae [Fr] writes:

Je crois que je dois étrangler à jamais mon côté d'irréductible optimiste (sous des tonnes de cynisme) qui prend toujours le dessus. Car, que de déceptions! […] Mais entre les hystériques, les sauvages, les hystériques, les sauvages, les corrupteurs déclarés, les sauvages, les incompétents, les hystériques, les analphabètes de la vie, les sauvages, les bookmakers des élections et le reste, mon optimisme ferait bien d'aller mettre un bon niqab.

Finally, Larbi, sums up [Fr] what he believes is at stake. He writes:

Enjeu politique majeur que celui de dire stop à la domination et la main mise de la monarchie sur le système politique. Que celui de dire qu’après plus de quinze ans de « transition démocratique » , si chère aux communicants du Royaume, et alors qu’on en attendait une évolution des institutions vers une monarchie parlementaire, l’entrisme de l’ami du roi, […] constitue un grand bond en arrière.

Even before Obama's inauguration, and well before he decided which Middle Eastern or North African country he would choose to deliver his so called foreign policy speech in, some Moroccan-Americans lobbied for President Obama to come to Rabat. Some others suggested Casablanca. A website, President Obama to Speak in Morocco, was even set up for that purpose:

[We invite] President Obama to make Morocco the home for his first foreign policy speech abroad.
Morocco is the ideal country to launch a message of peace to the Muslim world.
A peace loving country with a respected voice in the region, Morocco is a long time friend of the United States and would be proud to host President Barack Obama in this historical event.

Eventually, and to the big disappointment of many Moroccan Obama enthusiasts, the American President did not speak in Morocco but preferred - logically, some would argue - Cairo, Egypt.

Great and important speech of Obama in Cairo.

Citoyen Hmida also wrote:

(…)ce discours tant attendu n’est en partie qu’un tissu de lieux communs sur la civilisation arabo-musulmane et sur les positions américaines contre « l’extrémisme violent ».

This long awaited speech has been, in part, a string of platitudes about the Islamic-Arabic civilization and about the American condemnations of “violent extremism.”

Abdoukili reacts in a similar manner. He wrote:

Carolina Chandra Rumuat

Carolina, the West is practically clueless about your native language. What should we know ?

There are 700 or so languages in Indonesia, almost all of them living, spoken languages. In 1928, Indonesia declared Bahasa Indonesia the national language, the language of unity for everyone in this archipelagic country. Indonesian - or Bahasa Indonesia - is the fourth most spoken language in the world

How do you fit in this vast, very diverse, young country ?

In Indonesia, I'm considered three parts minority — well, at least, I was during President Suharto's New Order era: I'm a Christian Protestant, not a Muslim, I am half Chinese, and I'm a woman. I was very close to my Chinese maternal grandparents who practically raised me. Thanks to them, I learned the importance of knowledge, and that some virtues simply stand the test of time. Like, that you should be there for those in need, and be responsive to those under oppression. My grandparents are very Chinese, but luckily their life virtues didn't come solely from the Little Red Book. Sure, hard work is something they stressed, but so was the virtue of a quiet mind (a.k.a patience) I'm a nerdy type and I don't let my passions turn lukewarm. I found writing addictive. It's not just an outlet, it brings me joy. After college, I worked as a news writer in Jakarta, then as assistant journalist in a foreign news agency in Bali.

From Bali to Casablanca, Morocco…What happened ?

In Bali, I met and fell in love with my soulmate. After a while, we had to come to terms with the fact that his business needs him to be in Morocco. Since neither of us wanted to part, I simplified the decision-making process and came with him to Morocco.

Besides this, I also learned that the media is changing quickly. Online media is no longer an alternative: it is the future. I have mixed feelings about this, but one of the good points is that at least we can spare the forests. I'm an impulsive blogger, at Between Birth and Burial, and I have huge interest in new media.

How and when did you get acquainted with Global Voices ?

My fiancé first showed me Global Voices sometime last year. I read the website and without even reading the manifesto, I knew that Global Voices embodies one of those “changes” of dynamism in online journalism. Without a second thought, I bombarded Leonard and Portnoy, heads of the Lingua project, with email pleas. I wanted to be involved because I know that Indonesians' interest in reading is low. I think that, perhaps, if news is published in their native language, their interest in international issues will grow.

President Suharto's era caused people to curb their curiosity, and now is a good time to fix that — Indonesia is one of the world's youngest democracies. That's why I sincerely feel that people should be better informed about their rights, including freedom of speech. My first translation appeared in December 2008, a few days after I officially joined. Lingua is a good platform because it encourages people not to keep their troubles to themselves, it helps them realize that in some ways our lives are amalgamated with the rest of the world, even though we speak different languages.

How did Carolina from Indonesia adapt to Morocco?

Culture shock made me slow in socializing. I landed a job about 2 months ago in an Internet start up. It allows me to learn new things about myself and how to manage people despite our cultural differences. The bright side of my job is that it allows me to meet new people and see how they see live.

Casablanca reminds me a lot of Jakarta. Big and still growing, with a cosmopolitan charm that lures people from smaller cities to try their luck here. It also has a lot of contradictions. We can see women in burqas waiting at a bus stop next to a girl wearing a miniskirt and fishnet stockings. The biggest mosque in Maghreb is only a stone's throw away from the nightlife district, which I find interesting. I haven't had much chance to travel around the country yet. The Moroccans I know say that Casablanca is not Morocco. But so far, I think Morocco is a charming country. It's not the easiest country to live in for most Asians (including myself), but all experiences are valuable. It gives me lots of material for my blog.

Please introduce us to your first volunteer translators!

Global Voices in Bahasa Indonesia currently has 4 active translators including myself. Galuh Tahtya is one of my college buddies. After moving to Casablanca, we started to swap news, and one day I told her about the Lingua project. She decided to join.

Then came Ivan Lanin, the director of Wikimedia Indonesia, who also showed interest in volunteering. We found Oktavia Sidharta through Portnoy of Global Voices in Chinese, while our latest addition, Juliana Harsianti, is also an acquaintance of mine back in Jakarta. She is currently studying in Oslo, Norway with a scholarship laureate in online media.

Global Voices in Indonesian is still a baby but we hope that it will grow as big as Global Voices in French or in Spanish. I have some plans I wish to implement soon. I want to introduce Global Voices' mission to Indonesian young minds, especially those living on the island of Bali. I also wants to get in touch with my school and bring the Lingua project to their attention. I wish to share the beauty of volunteering with youth and the Indonesian public in general. Global Voices in Indonesian is taking it one step at a time, and it's truly a labor of love.

Global Voices in Bahasa Indonesia has a Facebook page!

Walking in Bernoussi (a neighbourhood in Casablanca), by oNico® in Flickr.

These elections come after an amendment of the so-called Communal Charter that organizes and determines the role of the communes. The reform intends basically -according to some analysts [Fr]- to strengthen the political power of the communes, to reinforce their independence and to increase their accountability. It is way to ensure good governance -at least officially.

The debate seems to be raging over the Moroccan blogosphere about the relevance of the process, participation over boycott, and the balkanized political scene.

Taha Balafrej [Fr], recollects his memories of a similar poll held back in June 1997, only to find out unsatisfactorily, that the obstacles to progress that he detected 12 years ago are still standing on the way:

[C]e pays que nous aimons tant, se trouve empêtré dans une situation délicate. Il est confronté à des défis importants, vitaux. Pour s’en sortir, il a choisi une voie consensuelle. Celle de la construction démocratique. Pas à pas. Jalon après jalon. Pour y arriver, de nombreuses années de formation et d’apprentissage, sont nécessaires. Pour réussir, l’engagement de tous est indispensable. Mais ces bonnes paroles, ces précautions, ces considérations objectives, rationnelles et claires butent sur des logiques négativement manœuvrières, sur des ambitions malsaines. Sur des appareils qui ont des logiques et des visions qui tranchent avec le bon sens.

Disenchanted, El Yacoubi comments on the aforementioned post as follows:

[Ces élections sont] un hypersouk où les voix s’échangent , se vendent , se bradent.
À gauche , comme à droite : des promesses et des billets..circulent , s’entrecroisent , s’affrontent , s’entrelacent et se séparent , avec un sourire entendu et moqueur .

On the 25 May, a new group, calling itself “the Association of Moroccan Bloggers” [Ar], believed to be close to the banned Islamist group of Al ‘Adl wal Ihssane (Justice and Charity), appeared on the blogosphere, calling for a campaign to fight electoral corruption by reporting through electronic means, all cases of electoral fraud that bloggers might encounter. The “manifesto” reads:

حملة تدوينية تستمر طيلة فترة الحملة الانتخابية حتى الإعلان عن النتائج… أهدافها: ترسيخ دور المواطن في ممارسة الدور الرقابي في الشأن السياسي. تسليط الضوء على مظاهر الفساد الانتخابي
التحسيس بخطورة الفساد الانتخابي …
فضح جميع الممارسات المشبوهة التي تواكب العملية الانتخابية ومحاصرة المفسدين. إصدار عمل توثيقي حول نزاهة العملية الانتخابية اعتمادا على تقارير المدونين.

The campaign is vehemently supported by veteran human rights activist and retired politician, now blogger, Abdelkader Alami [Ar]:

إن أي تطور إيجابي في الحياة السياسية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية لا يمكن أن يتحقق إلا بالمحاربة القوية للفساد الانتخابي وقيام مؤسسات ذات تمثيلية حقيقية ومصداقية في تكوينها، وفعالية في أدائها.

Morocco has indeed suffered throughout its 50 years of independence from endemic corruption, not least during electoral processes. Transparency Maroc [Fr], a branch of Transparency International, an NGO committed to fighting corruption, whilst it salutes the creation of the ICPC, the newly founded anti-corruption authority, deplores “the lack of efficient reforms and the persistence at the level of the communes of poor services and infrastructures, corruption and cronyism.”

On a more derisive tone Mounir Bensaleh [Ar], writing on the collective blog Nebrass A'shabab [Ar], explains the ethology of a new species of what he describes as “electoral domesticated animals.” They are a bunch of political opportunists who have become so familiar to Moroccan voters:

أنتجت سياسات الدولة منذ بداية التجربة الانتخابية في المغرب كائنات سياسية مروضة و متمرسة على “اللعبة” السياسية بشروطها المحلية…
ولتسامحني الحيوانات الحقيقية لاستعارتي لأسمها فأنا أكن لها كل الاحترام
… لا تفقه هاته الحيوانات في الثقافة السياسية ولا في التمايز بين المشاريع السياسية. لا يهمها اليمين ولا اليسار ولا حتى الوسط. لا تمتلك برنامجا ولا تعرض تصورات ولا تنافس على أساس معرفة ما. إنها حيوانات لا تأبه بحقوق الإنسان ولا بالديموقراطية ولا بالمؤسسات ولا بدولة الحق …
كونت هذه الحيوانات أموالا طائلة في سنوات كانت الدولة تشتري السلم الاجتماعي بالنقود و الامتيازات…
لا أريد لنفسي و لا لأبنائي أن تحكمنا هاته الحيوانات .

Most recurrent themes seem to be apathy, disinterest and often ignorance of electoral issues. This is a sentiment Mohamed Behrani [Ar] blogging on Nebrass A'shabab tried to touch upon:

ولعل ما يحرجني أكثر، هو أن السواد الأعظم من أبناء هذا الشعب لا يفقهون في العملية الإنتخابية شيئاً، كل ما يعلمون أن هناك شخصان أو ثلاتة يتنافسون للفوز بشيءٍ لايهتمون إطلاقا بمعرفته .

This disillusionment stems from deep concerns about the relevance of such electoral process in countries such as Morocco where the power remains essentially centralized.

Throughout the Maghreb, 2009 will definitely be remembered as an electoral year, but as Nawaat, a dissident Tunisian collective blog explains:

Regrettably, these elections –[…]presidential elections in Algeria, Tunisia’s presidential and legislative elections in October, and Morocco’s local council elections in June – attest not to the vibrancy of democracy in the region, but rather to its lingering authoritarianism.