[EnM4]

http://www.4thmedia.org/2011/11/30/morocco-gets-muslim-brotherhood-pm/

Morocco, with its 35 million people, where 1 in 3 are unemployed and poverty is widespread, has had multi-party elections since independence in 1956 without anyone taking much notice. Even Western Saharans get a taste of democracy from Rabat, however bitter.

The Arab Spring and public protests, organised by the 20 February youth movement and the Islamist Al-Adl wa Al-Ihssane, suddenly made genuine elections an important weapon in the king’s arsenal. King Mohammed VI immediately announced a process of constitutional reform and a promise to relinquish some of his administrative powers. Following a referendum in July with 70 per cent turnout and (a suspicious) 98 per cent approval, the new constitution was ratified in September, and parliamentary elections held last week.

In the new constitution, the king gives up his power to appoint the prime minister, agreeing to appoint the leader of the party winning the most seats in a parliamentary election. This independent PM in turn would now have the power to appoint senior civil servants, diplomats, even cabinet members, and the power to dissolve parliament — in consultation with the king’s ministerial council.

There were a total of 30 parties in this year’s race, the three leaders being the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party, an eight-party pro-monarchy Coalition for Democracy, and the Koutla Alliance of Istiqlal, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces and the Party of Progress and Socialism, headed by incumbent Prime Minister Abbas El-Fassi, head of the Istiqlal Party.

The Majlis Al-Nuwab (lower house) has 395 seats, 305 elected from party lists, plus 90 from a national list with two-thirds reserved for women and the remaining third reserved for men under the age of 40. The Justice and Development Party won 107 seats, making its leader Abdelillah Benkirane prime minister designate.

While turnout (45 per cent) was up from the questionable 2007 elections, critics complain that the current registration system has left up to a third of eligible voters off the rolls. A remarkable 20 per cent of ballots were spoiled, indicating a strong protest vote.

Parallels with Egypt’s transition to democracy are strong: both youth movements strongly criticised their respective elections as window-dressing, leaving the real power (veto power over legislation, cabinet appointments, and control of security) in the hands of the king in the case of Morocco, and the army in the case of Egypt. Many youth have refused to vote as a result and continue to press their demands for a real transition of power to a civilian government. Unlike in Egypt, in Morocco the Islamic Al-Adl Wa Al-Ihssane joined the secular youth in their boycott of the elections.

The distribution of seats now is: Justice and Development Party (107), Istiqlal Party (60), National rally of independents (52), Authenticity and Modernity Party (47), Socialist Union of Popular Forces (39), Popular movement (32), Constitutional Union (23), Party of Progress and Socialism (18), Labour party (4), other parties (13).

Word is that the Justice and Development Party, which promises to cut poverty in half and raise the minimum wage by 50 per cent, would govern in coalition with the leftwing nationalist-socialist Koutla bloc.
***
Eric Walberg writes for Al-Ahram Weekly http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/ You can reach him at http://ericwalberg.com/ His Postmodern Imperialism: Geopolitics and the Great Games is available at http://claritypress.com/Walberg.html

[redcarpet]

And shouldn't surprise anyone. The MB is the #1 Opposition Party in the average Muslim nation, to put it bluntly. The most organised, mass membership, etc.

And in times of trouble, people reach out to their faith and other things in their minds.

[Maas]

Germany is ruled by the CDU... the C stands for Christian
My country is partially ruled for well over a decade by the CDA... wher the C stands for....

Nothing odd with a muslim nation having a muslim party.

[Harold Saxon]

Germany is ruled by the CDU... the C stands for Christian
My country is partially ruled for well over a decade by the CDA... wher the C stands for....

Nothing odd with a muslim nation having a muslim party.

There's nothing odd of course, but the difference between the two is twofold:

1) The CDU is at this point a mainstream center-right European liberal conservative party. Its difference from the British Tories or the French UMP is negligible.

2) While the party does not hold stringently to it at all anymore, the CDU began as a Christian democrat party. Christian democrats are ideologically effectively socially conservative and decentralist social democrats, a rather non-radical position to a Westerner. The Muslim Brotherhood calls for violent overthrow of pro-Western Arab leaders, is stringently anti-Israel, and several leaders have as a stated ultimate goal a restored Caliphate. It's also far more theocratic, inspired by Sayyid Qutb's calls for removal of "decadent" Western cultural influences via sharia law. Its radical Islamist and Qutbist rhetoric has also inspired numerous break-off groups, including al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya and through al-Zawahiri's influence Al Qaeda.

From my perspective as a Westerner: In effect, this is what happens when one allows Arabs to vote with no restrictions on who one can vote for. While the illusion of democracy there could indeed very well be useful for us, free and fair elections in most of the Middle East are clearly detrimental to the West's security.

[DudeWhoGetsIt]

I am a strong believer that a well designed and executed democratic political system can act like a release valve for extremist leanings.

Give them MB more governments to run and more populations to govern and over time they will become more pragmatic

[margot]

There's nothing odd of course, but the difference between the two is twofold:

1) The CDU is at this point a mainstream center-right European liberal conservative party. Its difference from the British Tories or the French UMP is negligible.

2) While the party does not hold stringently to it at all anymore, the CDU began as a Christian democrat party. Christian democrats are ideologically effectively socially conservative and decentralist social democrats, a rather non-radical position to a Westerner. The Muslim Brotherhood calls for violent overthrow of pro-Western Arab leaders, is stringently anti-Israel, and several leaders have as a stated ultimate goal a restored Caliphate. It's also far more theocratic, inspired by Sayyid Qutb's calls for removal of "decadent" Western cultural influences via sharia law. Its radical Islamist and Qutbist rhetoric has also inspired numerous break-off groups, including al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya and through al-Zawahiri's influence Al Qaeda.

From my perspective as a Westerner: In effect, this is what happens when one allows Arabs to vote with no restrictions on who one can vote for. While the illusion of democracy there could indeed very well be useful for us, free and fair elections in most of the Middle East are clearly detrimental to the West's security.[/quote]

The Muslim Brotherhood has progressed and changed over the past 50 years. They got over Sayyid Qutb's views decades ago and nobody wants another Caliphate.

Israel is not central to Arab or Muslim concerns.. Their only interest is peace in the ME and some justice for the Palestinians. .. and I can't think of anyone, Christian or Muslim, who wouldn't want a just peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.

What threat to Western security do you perceive?

[Harold Saxon]

The Muslim Brotherhood has progressed and changed over the past 50 years. They got over Sayyid Qutb's views decades ago

They most assuredly did not. They may have moderated some to be sure, but he is still considered a strong ideological influence - in 2010, the Egyptian faction of the group published an extensive article praising him as a visionary. His continued influence is corroborated by such news sources as: ABC News, USA Today, The Guardian, and NPR. This can't be chalked up to some manner of neocon conspiracy either, most of those mentioned are notoriously left-leaning.

and nobody wants another Caliphate.

Well then, you are either grossly ignorant or a liar. Its founder, Hassan al-Banna, spoke explicitly of his desire for a restored Caliphate. In the modern day, a spokesman for the group by the name of Mahmoud Ghuzlan said literally six days ago: "Concerning the Islamic caliphate, this is our dream, and we hope to achieve it."

Israel is not central to Arab or Muslim concerns.. Their only interest is peace in the ME and some justice for the Palestinians. .. and I can't think of anyone, Christian or Muslim, who wouldn't want a just peace for the Palestinians and Israelis.

Their rhetoric is more than the standard if silly two-state solution fare and concern for nothing more than Israel's treatment of Palestinians, so here too, your rosy view of the group is asinine. For example, high-ranking members of the group have repeatedly reiterated their belief that Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel is non-binding. Some interest in peace. They have also refused to recognize Israel as a legitimate state.

What threat to Western security do you perceive?

For one thing, a threat to our geopolitical interests with regard to access to precious resources like oil, given their anti-Western views. For another, likely increased trade ties with enemies of the West - China is no friend of Islamism either, but could easily get a foothold in the Middle Eastern economy if the choice is them or the United States. Another issue is rhetoric that bolsters the ranks of dangerous Islamic terrorists through attacking a mutual enemy (the "Great Satan" of the United States) and mutual advocacy of Islamic fundamentalist beliefs. This can easily lead one to join an even more radical organization, as was seen with Ayman al-Zawahiri.

[margot]

Oh Lord.. Why are Americans so bloody ignorant?

[Harold Saxon]

Oh Lord.. Why are Americans so bloody ignorant?

Snide remarks are no substitute for a reasoned argument, and your lack thereof is a good indicator that your "the Muslim Brotherhood is full of rainbows and bunny rabbits" statements have been thoroughly debunked. I win.

[margot]

I don't know how old you all are, but the MB has changed alot over the years.