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Emerging Democracies Forum
Managing the Twin Transitions
Opening Ceremonies
(17 of 29 pages)
Ladies and Gentlemen, Morocco inspires its foundations from its Arab and Islamic
culture and identity and is founded on modern democratic concepts and principles have set up an original and distinctive
democratic process. Under the enlightened patronage of his Majesty, the representative of our nation, and the symbol
of its unity and continuity, the safeguards of the rights and freedoms of its individuals, communities, and institutions.
Morocco is a democratic constitutional monarchy that is based on multi-partisan and pluralism and freedom of association
and the contribution of all the civic society. Morocco, as of its independence, has managed to achieve many achievements
on the front of democratization and the rule of law. We can recall here the important constitutional reform of
1996 that has been approved by the Moroccan people, and that has developed Parliamentarian life throughout the
country and has enabled us to establish a bi-cameral Parliament, where the Parliament is constituted of two houses
- the House of Deputies, the deputies who are elected through direct elections, and the House of Councilors, the
councilors who are elected by elected bodies who represent local communities and professional trade unions. Under
this new regime it was only natural for the Parliamentary powers to expand and for its power to be entrenched in
the field of checks and balances on the government, which means that it has the right for the vote of confidence
and to vote on all programs of the government before they are undertaken, and the possibility of the withdrawal
of confidence through this checks-and-balances system. In addition to this new Parliamentarian system, which is
the framework that has crystallized the alternation project which has enabled previous opposition to shoulder government
responsibilities in the countries, come to the forefront new mechanisms, procedures, and institutions that support
democratization and balance of all powers.
And here we would like to recall the role that is undertaken by the constitutional council and the new roles and
powers entrusted to the social and economic council and the body as a unified territorial unity that is entrusted
with the management of decentralization. Parallelly, these constitutional reforms witnessed a large openness by
Morocco in the system for human rights and support for constitutional institutions. And now we have a full image
of an open country - understanding, open, and strong with its institutions and consensus on its national foundations.
The setting up of new mechanisms that accompanied these reforms such as prorogation of legislation, aimed at safeguarding
the rights of women, children, handicapped, and it also included the review of the criminal law and the public
office law. And all these were the crowning of the democratization process.
This process is complemented by the adoption by the Moroccan Kingdom of new laws in the economic and social fields
such as the law of companies, the trade law, investment law, all with the aim of giving the principle of free enterprise
and initiative enshrined by the constitution its true meaning and to translate the liberal economic choices of
Morocco and its openness to the world economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the democratization of public life is taking place now that we are at the threshold of the
third millennium. It is the necessary path for all and every country that need to or seeks to entrench its development
and to encounter globalization challenges that have become inescapable. I am sure that the results and recommendations
of this forum will be very useful for our countries and democratic regimes. And I pin my hopes on the fact that
this democratic forum will expand its members to include new democratic patterns and new members - and this, of
course, will entail more mobilization and more effort from all of our parts. Thank you.
Kim Campbell: Thank you very much, Mr. Al-Said. Mr. President, we want to thank you again for the generous
time that you've given us. And colleagues, I know, will want to take the opportunity at this moment to thank Mr.
Al-Said.
Speaker: Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the Republic, his Excellency, Ali Abdullah Saleh, will now
leave the floor.
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