VZCZCXYZ0004
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRB #0360/01 0541809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231809Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5918
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 4331
RUEHNK/AMEMBASSY NOUAKCHOTT 3430
RUEHTU/AMEMBASSY TUNIS 9217
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 5657
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3235
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 4544
RUEHCL/AMCONSUL CASABLANCA 2712

UNCLAS RABAT 000360 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM MO
SUBJECT: MOROCCO: ELECTION DATE SET, REDISTRICTING PLAN 
MOVES FORWARD 
 
REF: RABAT 266 
 
¶1.  (U) This cable is sensitive but unclassified.  Please 
protect accordingly. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Summary: The GOM announced on February 22 that 
elections for the lower house of parliament will be staged on 
September 7.  Most political parties, including those from 
the majority who supported a July ballot, have been generally 
supportive of the government's decision, citing the potential 
for increased voter participation.  The Islamist PJD and 
mainly Berber UMP, who have advocated for a September vote 
all along, have been predictably pleased with the chosen 
date.  The MOI has also announced it will revise voter rolls, 
thought to be riddled with bad entries, in April and May.  At 
the same time, the council of government adopted an 
MOI-drafted electoral districting plan, which increases the 
total number of voting constituencies from 91 to 95.  No 
consensus has yet emerged on the political implications of 
the new district boundaries.  The plan, however, must still 
be passed by the council of ministers and parliament before 
being finalized.  The September election date extends 
opportunities for the U.S. Mission to pursue election-related 
advocacy, assistance, and programming.  End Summary. 
 
Government Nails Down Election Date 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU)   After months of speculation and rumor surrounding 
the date for Morocco,s next legislative election, Minister 
of Interior Chakib Benmoussa , following the February 22 
council of government meeting, publicly announced that 
Moroccans will head to the polls on September 7 to elect 325 
members to the chamber or representatives, the lower house of 
parliament.  (Note: Members of the lower house of parliament 
are elected to five-year terms.  295 representatives are 
elected from local party lists, while 30 representatives are 
elected from a national list -- informally reserved for 
women.  End Note.) Nabil Benabdallah, government spokesperson 
and Minister of Communication, explained that the 
government's decision to hold election in September was the 
direct result of consultations and consensus among the MOI 
and the full range of political parties.  Although widely 
debated in the local press and among political observers for 
the past several months, the reactions from political 
parties, members of parliament, and the press to the 
government's decision have been generally supportive. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Despite initially favoring a July date, (reftel) 
because of the impending start of Ramadan and the beginning 
of the school year in September, the Socialist Union of 
Popular Forces (USFP) and other ruling coalition parties have 
not publicly criticized the government's decision.  Several 
leaders of smaller parties who also favored a July election, 
including Abdellah Kadiri of the National Democratic Party 
(PND) and Thami El Khyari of the Democratic Forces Front 
(FFD), have implicitly expressed their support for the 
September date arguing that it could allow for greater voter 
participation.  Nonetheless, other political parties, such as 
the ruling coalition's Party for Progress and Socialism 
(PPS), still contend that a July date is more advantageous 
for Morocco because it will increase voter turnout. 
Similarly, the Islamist Party for Justice and Development 
(PJD) and the mainly Berber Popular Movement Union (UMP), 
have advocated for a September election all along.  PJD 
Secretary General Saadeddine Ohtmani was quoted February 23 
 
SIPDIS 
in the French-language daily Aujourd'hui Le Maroc as saying 
that the September 7 date is most appropriate because it 
provides more time for political parties to mobilize voters. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) According to French-language accounts of the 
council of government decisions, an exceptional revision of 
the electoral lists (voter rolls) to be used in this year's 
elections will take place between April 5 and May 24. (NB: 
There is widespread belief among political observers that the 
electoral lists are out of date and rampant with double 
listings, deceased voters, and false registrations.) The MOI 
also released several key dates relating to the procedural 
framework of the elections.  Official submissions of 
candidacies will take place between August 17 and August 24, 
while the official election campaign period will start August 
25 and will run through September 6, according to press 
 
reports. 
 
Electoral Districting Plan Adopted 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) At the same time, the February 22 council of 
government meeting also passed a new plan that revises the 
electoral districts relating to September's election.  The 
new plan increases the total number of voting constituencies 
from 91 to 95.  This change ostensibly reflects shifts in 
demographics since the 2002 elections, as well as the 
remapping of Morocco's administrative map since 2002, which 
includes mergers of some provinces and the creation of 
others. No consensus has yet emerged on the political 
implications of the new district boundaries.  (NOTE: The 30 
national list seats are not affected by the government's 
districting plan.  End Note.)  Although passed by the council 
of government, the districting plan must still be approved by 
the council of ministers (chaired by the king), then pass 
through both houses of parliament before being finalized. 
With that in mind, there is still space for amendments to the 
current plan (though none are currently expected). 
 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU)  The government's decision for a September ballot, 
while providing political parties more time to prepare, also 
provides a greater opportunity for the Mission's 
election-related advocacy, assistance and programming to 
resonate with political parties and voters.  With the date of 
the lower house elections now decided, political parties can 
refocus their attention internally on preparing effective 
campaigns platforms, developing strategies to increase voter 
participation, and improving party image among perspective 
voters.  End Comment. 
 
****************************************** 
Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat 
****************************************** 
 
Riley