The Evolution and Features of the Modern Electoral System of Morocco in the Context of the International Electoral Standards

Abstract

The electoral system of Morocco was forming and developing under the conditions of the monarchical form of government. For years, the influence of the monarch on the electoral process became the cause of disagreements between the political forces in the country, at the same time he initiated a reform of the electoral system. Several constitutional referendums did not bring significant changes in the political life in the Kingdom. A wave of demonstrations that took place in the Arab world, reversed the situation and in 2011 the electoral law was significantly amended, which made a serious impact on the development of the electoral rights of Morocco, largely improving the elective procedures, as well as setting the legislative regulation in a number of areas that previously did not fall under the control of the law. According to the results of recent parliamentary elections, we can conclude that at this stage the electoral system of Morocco meets the needs of the country and produced on the basis of the “Arab Spring” reforms were sufficient to avoid a political crisis in the country and to guarantee pluralism of opinions. However, it should be take into consideration that further reforms are important, as the existing electoral system does not meet international democratic standards, however, it shows a fairly good example for the Arab region as a whole.