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Change Your Life! |
King Mohammed VI's new, modern style |
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News
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July 25, 2000
RABAT (AP) - In just a year on the throne, King Mohammed VI has imposed his authority in Morocco even while taking the first steps toward liberalization after the 38-year rule of his late father Hassan II. Financial compensation for victims of torture, an easing of censorship in print media, the return of political exiles banned by the former government, and a "new concept of authority" based on the respect of the law are among the young king's achievements. Daunting challenges, however, remain for the 36-year-old monarch, who took power after his father's death on July 23, 1999. The gap between rich and poor continues to widen in this North African country of 30 million people, where the unemployment rate stands at 20 percent. Economic growth is stagnant and drought is a major problem for farmers. "The king has provided crucial momentum, but his government is not following," said Abraham Serfaty, a former opponent of Hassan II who returned to his homeland with the personal authorization of Mohammed VI in September after eight years in exile. "The rhythm of change is inadequate," Serfaty said. "People can wait but they can't wait indefinitely." According to the World Bank, poverty has risen 50 percent in the last 10 years, and the number of Moroccans considered poor is now one in five. The bank says the unemployment rate could reach 30 percent by 2010 in the absence of important economic reforms. Poverty and unemployment are driving thousands of young Moroccans to attempt to cross the treacherous Straits of Gibraltar in an effort to reach Spain in hopes of finding work. Since ascending to the throne, Mohammed VI, dubbed "king of the poor" by Moroccan media, has extended his hand to the disadvantaged and forgotten, leading efforts to increase solidarity among his people and making donations to charitable organizations and orphanages. Mohammed VI also has reached out to the underdeveloped Rif region of northern Morocco, where his father refused to travel following an uprising against royal power in 1958. The king is spending increasing amounts of time in Tangiers, the capital of the Rif. Although he has wooed the nation with high-profile campaigns on behalf of the poor, Mohammed VI is discreet, almost secretive. He makes key decisions in consultation with a select group of young advisers, many of whom attended the royal college with him. Western diplomats in the capital Rabat say the king is trying to tackle difficult social issues in order to prevent a rise in the country's growing Islamic movement, which seeks a strict interpretation of the Quran. Islamic militants, who are represented in parliament and have strong bases in universities and poor neighborhoods, have multiplied efforts in favor of the poor, sponsoring literacy campaigns and distributing food and medicine to the disadvantaged. The Islamic militants haven't directly challenged the king, but they have increased opposition activities. Thousands of them have flooded the beaches this summer urging people to attend daily prayer at mosques. The Islamic movement has yet to reveal its strategy for legislative elections scheduled for 2002, but some democrats fear a sweep by Islamic candidates if the government doesn't accelerate reforms. In foreign policy, the king has followed in his father's footsteps, maintaining alliances with the United States and France and seeking to remain a force of reconciliation in the Mideast peace process. The future of Western Sahara, the territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario rebels, remains deadlocked. Plans for creating a Maghreb union among Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco are also at an impasse. Recent promising indications of important oil reserves on the Moroccan-Algerian border also has complicated relations with Morocco's eastern neighbor, but could provide greater economic security for the kingdom if the reserves pan out.
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