VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCL #0044 0770946
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180946Z MAR 09
FM AMCONSUL CASABLANCA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8322
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS CASABLANCA 000044 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI MO
SUBJECT: POLITICAL DISILLUSIONMENT AMONG MOROCCAN YOUTH 
 
¶1. (SBU)Summary: A series of conversations with  university-educated 
middle class Moroccan youth revealed negative and/or apathetic 
opinions towards their country's politicians and the political 
system in general.  They reported that politicians were corrupt, 
indifferent to the needs of the people, and solely interested in 
serving their own interests.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Through a series of conversations and an informal survey 
with predominately undergraduate English students (roughly 21-22 
years old and equally mixed male and female) on politics at Dar 
America and Bem Sik University, consulate general intern was able to 
gauge the mood of Morocco's youth.  By far the most common response 
to questions about politics was apathy. Despite being queried for 
their opinions on the government and the upcoming municipal 
elections in June of 2009, the young interlocutors demonstrated 
little interest in the subject.  Most people described politics as 
boring or politicians as useless at best and corrupt liars at worst, 
and then proceeded to change the subject.  Only one person among the 
several dozen the intern spoke with said she had voted in the 
parliamentary election of 2007.  The lone voter, a 22 year old 
English student at Bem Sik University, said she voted for the 
Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) out of a desire for 
an alternative from the current political malaise. 
 
¶3. (SBU) This apoliticism among students starkly contrasts with 
their interest in international political events, such as the crisis 
in Gaza and the election of President Obama of which most students 
were quite aware and about which they were passionate. Dar America 
events on the inauguration of President Obama drew large, 
well-informed audiences.  Questions about whether and for whom 
Americans voted for were common. When asked to provide answers to 
the same questions relative to Morocco, many students simply changed 
the subject or gave rather negative evaluations such as saying that 
Moroccan politicians are just "liars". 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Similarly, interest in "government" in general (as opposed 
to simply political competition and elections) in the form of 
government services was also near nonexistent aside from government 
scholarships.  When the intern was visiting Bem Sik, around twenty 
students were protesting the lack of resources and the school 
administration; however, it did not appear that these protests were 
linked to any wider organized political activity such as voting or 
volunteering for a political party. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Comment: Overall, Moroccan students described a rather 
distant political system which did not interest youth.  The 
students' attitudes may in part be ascribed to general cynicism and 
disinterest in politics amongst youth which is not unique to 
Morocco.  There is little doubt that Moroccan political parties and 
the government need to make greater strides to encourage youth 
participation in civil society and politics. 
 
Millard