Consolidated Report June 22, 2009

Observation of the Moroccan municipal elections of June 12, 2009

Prepared by Rachel Ehrenfeld & Jean-Charles Brisard

On June 12, 2009, members of the American Center for Democracy observed municipal elections throughout Morocco, visiting polling sites in urban and rural areas.  We observed, without any obstacles, all the sites we chose and interviewed officials, party delegates and voters.  We witnessed a consistently high level of professionalism, a great sense of responsibility and a good knowledge of voting procedures on the part of the officials in the voting stations.  Without exception the elections met all the recognized requirements of a democratic election and members of the ACD observed only minor irregularities or violations.  The ACD was particularly impressed by the participation and engagement of women, both as voters and as electoral officials.

Content
1.        Members of the ACD observation team
2.        Polling stations observed by the team
3.        General summary regarding the electoral process
4.        Outstanding Trends observed by the team
5.        Key Observations
6.        Recommendations to improve the electoral process
  6.1.          Identification documents
  6.2.          Ballot & marking method
  6.3.          Delegates of the political parties
  6.4.          Orientation of the voters
7.        Conclusion: encouraging results, challenges for the next elections
8.        Appendices : ACD team press coverage

1. Members of the ACD observation team

Rachel Ehrenfeld & Leslie Lebl  - Marrakech region
Jean-Charles Brisard & Yassir Oukara  - Meknès-Tafilalet region
Yoichiro Kawai  -Casablanca region
James Bissett  -Layoune region
Chris Braham – the urban areas of Laayoune and the rural area of Dakhla.
Indranil Banerjie – Agadir
Simon Bell - Dakala

2. Polling stations observed by the team

Marrakech region
Four voting centers comprising more than 20 polling stations were observed. 

Meknès-Tafilalet region
Sixty-three polling stations, accounting for 7.3% of the total polling stations of the Province of Meknès (860 polling stations) were observed in 13 different voting centers (11 in urban areas, 2 in rural areas) selected for their diversity:

Casablanca region
Ten voting centers comprising nearly 50 polling stations were observed. 

Laayoune region
Eastern sector [Oriental]. Polling centers in the Province of Oujda-Angad, covering five urban centers in the City of Oujda and one center in the rural area of the Province were observed.  A polling station was also observed in a rural area of the neighboring Province of Berkane [close to the Algerian border].

3. General summary regarding the electoral process

The observation team was welcomed in all polling stations observed. The team was free to inspect all documents held by the officials and volunteers at the polling stations and had free access to all parts of the polling stations.  

The pre-election planning and organization was of the very highest standard. The consistency of the voting procedures in each polling station indicated the level of prior training and the success of that training.

The elections were responsibly held, well managed, and executed correctly with fully transparency.

There was uniformity, a common standardized conduct of the election officials in all the poling stations observed.

The voting was done so in total privacy and without any influence.

The level of security was evident but sufficiently removed from the voting process. At no stage was it considered oppressive or coercive.

The enthusiasm for the voting process was recognizable especially amongst the female voters.  It was very encouraging to witness the females vote in such numbers and commitment.

In the sub Sahara region there was no interference or influence over the voting process by political groups inspired by the political differences between Morocco and Algeria.

The members of the local administration (specifically the governors and walis) placed their entire operational means at the disposal of members of the observation team. 

No incident relating to the course of the voting operations was noted by the team nor reported to the observers.  

4. Trends observed by the team

• Active role of women in the voting process; strong women participation, exceeding that of the men in the majority of the polling stations observed;
• Stronger general participation in rural areas than in urban environment

5. Key observations

In some polling stations, the election officials filled out final reports before the closure of the poll, “to save time”.

• Each polling station was allotted a number of ballots limited to the number of registered voters, thus precluding fraud. However, this also prevented voters, who made a mistake, from correcting their ballots.
• In some polling station, the officials had three electoral lists according to article 58 paragraph 5 of the Electoral Code.
• In some polling station, we noted the absence of the political parties’ delegates.
• Some parties pay for their delegates, other parties use volunteers.
• Many voting sites did not post the number of the polling stations.
• In some polling stations voters presented  passports but was not allowed to vote  because a possible discrepancy in stated addresses. Moreover, the Electoral Code says that only the CIN or the family record book can serve as proof of identity.
• In the majority of the voting centers, there was no one to direct the voters towards their specific polling station.
• At some polling stations, only one voter at a time was allowed to enter the room, while at others, several voters were allowed at the same time.

6. Recommendations to improve the election process

Article 62 of the Electoral Code says that in addition to the voter registration card each voter must verify his/her identity with his/her national identity card (CIN) or family record book.
  
The ACD team recommends that the family record book should not be used as proof of identity because it lacks photo I.D. In the absence of photo identification, the family book record can be used by third parties and opens the door for fraud. Therefore, the team suggests retaining the national identity card (CIN) as the sole document for proof of identity.

The current ballots and method of marking the ballots allowed for potential errors/fraud 

The ballots are not stamped with marks identifying the zone. Thus they can potentially lead to error and fraud

Moreover, the use of a pen for marking the vote does not allow for any error particularly among older voters. Increasing the number of invalid votes. 

The ballots allotted to each polling station correspond to the exact number of registered voters. The services of the Governor preserve an additional reserve of 10% in the event of incidents, but these additional ballots are not at the immediate disposal of the polling stations.

The team observed, that the marking of the ballots was a major cause for invalidating votes - accounting for more than 20% of the invalid ballots - because the ballots were marked improperly. In certain cases, the ballots were declared invalid because of an inadequate folding (the electoral Code does not contribute to clarify this point since it provides - article 62, paragraph 2 – says that the voter must “fold” the ballot before placing it “folded” in the ballot box. However the ballots given to the voters are already partially folded.

We recommend three measures to improve the legitimacy of the votes:

a) Although the authorities and political parties invested time and effort to inform the voters on how to vote, clear instructions posted in the voting booths would help to reduce errors and invalid votes.

b) A reserve of 10% of additional ballots could be allotted to each polling station to make it possible for the voter to fulfill the electoral duty. To prevent possible fraud, the additional ballots should be counted before the opening of the polling stations and when they close. The invalid ballots should be annexed to the official report.

c) The marking method itself could be improved by using a pre-inked stamp or seal.

The team spoke privately with delegates from several political parties - some paid for their services, others volunteered. The presence of party delegates to monitor the election is a right provided by article 58 of the Electoral Code. However, not all parties have enough resources to allocate delegates to all polling stations.

Since Article 58 of the Electoral Code is an important to ensure transparency and accountability of the election, thus reinforcing the democratic process, the team suggests to provide all political parties a specific and uniform financial contribution of a minimal amount enabling them to ensure this right.

7. Conclusion: encouraging results, challenges for the next elections

The increasing participation of women in the political life is an obvious sign of democratic vitality. The election of Fatima Zahra Mansouri, a 33-year-old lawyer as Mayor in Marrakesh (the second female Mayor in Morocco) highlights the efforts carried out by the kingdom to increase the status of women on the democratic scene.

Women electoral representation

Legislative Elections

Municipal Elections

The election results show a high renewal rate of the municipal elected officials (61%).

The turnout rate, relatively stable since 2002, could be further encouraged by civic campaigns, better information to the public, and simplification of the voting procedure (especially on the ID and ballot issues).

Evolution of the turnout rate in 20 years

Legislative Elections

Municipal Elections

An important challenge for the success of future Moroccan elections lies in the ability to reduce the rate of the invalid votes (blank and null ballots). The invalid votes in Morocco account for about 10% in the local elections. In comparison the rate is 3.80% in France, and 2.60% in Spain. Several measures could significantly reduce this rate.

Evolution of the rate of blank and null votes

Legislative Elections

Municipal Elections

8. APPENDICES: ACD mission press coverage

• Forbes, June 17, 2009
• AFP, June 12, 2009, 19h35
• AFP, June 13, 2009, 00h33
• Maghreb Arab Press, June 14, 2009
• Le Matin, June 15, 2009

http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/17/islam-election-king-mohammed-opinions-contributors-morocco.html

Forbes -Commentary
A Muslim Nation's Successful Election
Rachel Ehrenfeld, 06.17.09, 11:55 AM ET

It is 131 degrees Fahrenheit in Marrakesh, Morocco, yet a slow but steady stream of voters--many of whom are women--enter the schoolyard to cast their ballots at the polling stations for the municipal elections.

On June 12, 2009, 1,503 communities chose their representatives in orderly, transparent elections, according to Ahmed Herzenni, chairman of Morocco's human rights watchdog, CCDH. His opinion was shared by more than 150 foreign observers, including the International Strategic Studies Association from Washington, D.C., and the New York-based American Center for Democracy (ACD).

Unlike the Soviet-style election in April that led to the reelection of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algeria, Morocco's eastern neighbor, or the controversial and violent presidential election in Iran, Morocco's election was "fair and free."

The meticulously planned and executed election marked an important step in King Mohammed VI's reform plans to decentralize governance and empower local communities. With 6% economic growth, large investment in education and development, $21.11 billion in foreign debt and $27.29 billion in reserve, Morocco has weathered the global economic storm better than most. In introducing a new form of governance, the king's reforms are designed to increase the participation of all citizens in political and economic systems.

Morocco's interior minister, Chakib Benmoussa, an MIT graduate, led the planning, preparing and training of election officials and volunteers. A budget of close to $62 million was allocated to plan, organize and administer the elections. Special efforts were made to include more women in local politics. To overcome the high level of illiteracy and encourage voting, the ballots included pictures of the political parties, which were well advertised in advance.

These efforts yielded impressive results: Local elections attracted 15.4% more voters than the last parliamentary elections, in 2007. More than 7 million voters (52.4%) elected 27,795 council members; 61% of these were newly elected. The number of women elected rose significantly, from 0.4% in the previous local elections in 2003 to 12.3%. Most of these women are under the age of 35, and 75% of them have higher than secondary education.

"We were impressed because we've seen very clearly that people were well-acquainted with the rules and were well-prepared for elections," noted Leslie Lebl, a senior ACD fellow, one of the international observers. "Everything took place in very good conditions."

Jean-Charles Brisard, a French observer, noted the "professionalism" of the election supervising teams and said he was impressed by the "great sense of responsibility" demonstrated by participating officials and volunteers.

Significantly, there was a high turnout of voters in the Moroccan Western Sahara region. Though this area is still the subject of international dispute, the local inhabitants' active participation demonstrated their self-identification as Moroccan citizens. The Saharans clearly prefer Morocco's reform-oriented government to Algeria's repressive regime.

Morocco's efforts to unify its diverse population of Arabs, Berbers, Jews and other small minorities are impressive. To attract more members, the Islamist Justice and Development party abended its religious rhetoric. Although it gained relatively more votes in the big cities, it came in sixth, with only 5% of the votes. In contrast, the royalist, modernist, and reform-oriented Authenticity and Modernity Party came in first with roughly 18% of the votes and won almost 22% of seats.

In this Muslim country--where Jews and Christians can practice their religions freely, conversion from Islam is permitted by law, a big church stands in the center of the capital Rabat, and alcohol is freely sold in the supermarkets--the regionalization reforms underway promise that Morocco will become even more tolerant. Indeed, Morocco should be used as model by its neighbors in the region and beyond.

Rachel Ehrenfeld, author of Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It, is director of the American Center for Democracy.

Treize millions de Marocains élisent leurs conseillers municipaux - Actualisation, Papier Général, Prev 

12/06/2009 19h35 - MAROC-ÉLECTIONS-MUNICIPALES - Monde (FRS) - AFP
Par Hervé GUILBAUD

RABAT, 12 juin 2009 (AFP) - Quelque 13 millions de Marocains votaient vendredi pour élire près de 28.000 conseillers municipaux avec, pour la première fois, un quota de 12% de sièges réservés aux femmes et une grande inconnue: le taux d'abstention.

Les bureaux de vote (environ 38.250) ont ouvert à 08h00 (07h00 GMT) et ferment à 19h00 (18h00 GMT). Tous les Marocains âgés de 18 ans et plus peuvent voter.

Les résultats officiels devraient être annoncés samedi en fin d'après-midi.

Le Premier ministre Abbas El Fassi a voté vers midi à Souissi, un quartier huppé de la capitale. Le secrétaire général du Parti Justice et Développement (PJD, islamistes modérés) Abdelillah Benkirane a fait de même en fin de matinée aux Orangers, en centre ville.

Les analystes s'attendent à une forte abstention. En 2003, lors des précédentes élections municipales, elle avait atteint 46%.

A 16h00 locales (15h00 GMT), le taux de participation était proche de 30%, le même qu'en 2003 à la même heure, selon le ministère de l'Intérieur.

Selon Jean-Charles Brisard, un observateur français positionné dans la région de Meknès (à environ 150 km à l'est de Rabat), l'affluence était plus forte dans les campagnes qu'en ville.

"La présence de femmes est importante, a également déclaré à l'AFP cet observateur, invité au Maroc par le Conseil consultatif des droits de l'Homme (CCDH). Ca prouve un réel engouement".

Un total de 130.223 candidats issus de 30 partis politiques sont en lice. Le mode de scrutin est double: uninominal dans les petites localités et de liste dans les municipalités dépassant 35.000 habitants).

27.795 conseillers municipaux vont être élus pour des mandats de six ans dans 1.503 communes.
Les candidatures féminines s'élèvent à 20.458 (soit 15,7% du total) contre 4,8% en 2003. Elles n'avaient alors obtenu que 0,54% des sièges.

Dans l'ensemble, la campagne électorale s'est déroulée sans incident majeur.

Selon une enquête récente de l'ONG Transparency International, 53% des Marocains estiment que les partis politiques sont corrompus. Conscientes de cette désaffection, les autorités ont multiplié les appels à voter.

La lutte contre le chômage, pour l'alphabétisation et la promotion de la femme ont été les principaux thèmes de cette campagne.

L'un des intérêts de cette consultation sera le score du Parti Authenticité et Modernité (PAM), nouveau-né sur l'échiquier politique.

Le PAM a été fondé en 2008 par l'ancien ministre délégué à l'Intérieur Fouad Ali El Himma, un ami du roi. Il s'agit du premier test électoral pour ce parti qui, jusqu'au 29 mai, appartenait à la coalition gouvernementale.

Les résultats du PJD -arrivé en deuxième position aux législatives de 2007- seront également observés à la loupe. "Notre ambition est d'arriver en tête", a résumé jeudi à l'AFP Abdelillah Benkirane.

Fès, à 200 km dans l'est de Rabat, figure parmi ses objectifs. La capitale spirituelle du royaume est aujourd'hui dirigée par le syndicaliste et très médiatique Hamid Chabat, de l'Istiqlal (PI), parti du Premier ministre.

Salé, ville-jumelle (et ville-dortoir) de Rabat, dont le maire est Driss Sentissi (Mouvement Populaire/MP), est aussi dans la ligne de mire du PJD.

Selon le ministère de l'Intérieur, c'est le PAM qui a présenté le plus de candidats (16.793), suivi du PI (15.681), du Rassemblement National des Indépendants (RNI/12.432), de l'Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires (USFP/12.241), du PJD (8.870) et du MP (8.595).

heg/sba

© 1994-2009 Agence France-Presse

Près de 7 millions de Marocains ont voté aux élections municipales - Prev, Papier Général, Actualisation

13/06/2009 00h33 - MAROC-ÉLECTIONS-MUNICIPALES - Monde (FRS) - AFP
Par Hervé GUILBAUD

RABAT, 12 juin 2009 (AFP) - Environ 6,8 millions de Marocains, sur un total de 13.360.000 inscrits, ont voté vendredi aux élections communales, une participation de 51% légèrement inférieure au précédent scrutin de 2003 (54%), selon le ministre de l'Intérieur Chakib Benmoussa

La participation à ces élections a cependant été largement supérieure à celle enregistrée lors des législatives de 2007 (37%).

Pour la première fois, un quota de 12% de sièges était réservé aux femmes, qui n'avaient obtenu que... 0,54% des sièges en 2003.

Les bureaux de vote (environ 38.250) avaient ouvert à 08h00 (07h00 GMT) et ont fermé à 19h00 (18h00 GMT). Tous les Marocains âgés de 18 ans et plus pouvaient voter et y ont été vivement encouragés par les autorités.

Aucune tendance n'a été communiquée vendredi soir et les résultats officiels ne devraient être annoncés que samedi en fin d'après-midi.

Selon Jean-Charles Brisard, un observateur français positionné dans la région de Meknès (à environ 150 km à l'est de Rabat), l'affluence était plus forte dans les campagnes qu'en ville.

"La présence de femmes (dans les bureaux de vote) est importante, a également déclaré à l'AFP cet observateur, invité au Maroc par le Conseil consultatif des droits de l'Homme (CCDH). Ca prouve un réel engouement".

Un total de 130.223 candidats issus de 30 partis politiques étaient en lice. Le mode de scrutin était double: uninominal dans les petites localités et de liste dans les municipalités dépassant 35.000 habitants).

27.795 conseillers municipaux vont être élus pour des mandats de six ans dans 1.503 communes.

Les candidatures féminines étaient au nombre de 20.458 (soit 15,7% du total), contre 4,8% en 2003.

Dans l'ensemble, la campagne électorale s'est déroulée sans incident grave. Le ministre de l'Intérieur a toutefois fait état vendredi soir de quelques "incidents limités et isolés", qui n'ont pas affecté le déroulement du vote.

M. Benmoussa a ainsi mentionné des heurts entre militants de partis opposés, avec jets de pierres et destructions d'urnes.

La lutte contre le chômage, pour l'alphabétisation et la promotion de la femme ont été les principaux thèmes de cette campagne.

L'un des intérêts de cette consultation est le score du Parti Authenticité et Modernité (PAM), nouveau-né sur l'échiquier politique et coqueluche des médias.

Le PAM a été fondé en 2008 par l'ancien ministre délégué à l'Intérieur Fouad Ali El Himma, un ami du roi. Il s'agissait du premier test électoral pour ce parti qui, jusqu'au 29 mai, appartenait à la coalition gouvernementale.

Les résultats du PJD -arrivé en deuxième position aux législatives de 2007- seront également observés à la loupe. "Notre ambition est d'arriver en tête", avait résumé jeudi à l'AFP Abdelillah Benkirane.

Fès, à 200 km dans l'est de Rabat, figurait parmi ses objectifs. La capitale spirituelle du royaume est dirigée par le syndicaliste et très médiatique Hamid Chabat, de l'Istiqlal (PI), parti du Premier ministre Abbas El Fassi.

Salé, ville-jumelle (et ville-dortoir) de Rabat, dont le maire est Driss Sentissi (Mouvement Populaire/MP), était aussi dans la ligne de mire du PJD, comme Meknès et Tanger (nord).

Selon le ministère de l'Intérieur, c'est le PAM qui a présenté le plus de candidats (16.793), suivi du PI (15.681), du Rassemblement National des Indépendants (RNI/12.432), de l'Union Socialiste des Forces Populaires (USFP/12.241), du PJD (8.870) et du MP (8.595).

heg/

© 1994-2009 Agence France-Presse

June 14, 2009
International observers say Morocco elections ran in 'good conditions'

Rabat - The local elections that took place Friday in Morocco took place in "good conditions," international observers who monitored the polling said on Saturday.

"We were impressed because we've seen very clearly that people were well acquainted with the rules and were well prepared" for elections, Leslie Lebel, one of the international observers told Morocco's Al Oula channel TV.

"Everything took place in very good conditions," she said.

Jean Charles Brisard noted the "professionalism" of the election supervising teams and a "great sense of responsibility and an accurate knowledge of the polling modalities."

For her part, Rachel Ehrenfeld of the American Center for Democracy said the elections registered "no irregularities."

She is one of the 150 international observers who monitored Friday elections to choose 27,795 councilors. The polling has witnessed a turnout of 52.4%, that is over seven million of the 13.3 million voters.

On Friday, observers described as "ideal" the climate in which the elections took place in Morocco’s Southern Provinces, the Sahara.

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which was formed in August 2008, has harvested 21.7% of the seats across Morocco.

In parliament, PAM recently retracted support to the government to stand as the biggest opposition party ahead of the Islamist Justice and Development Party. It has 46 of the 325 seats of Parliament.

Le Matin, June 15, 2009