Purifying the Political Landscape and Strengthening Governance: King Mohammed VI’s 25-Year Legacy

As Morocco celebrates the 25th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s ascension to the throne, a significant focus of his reign has been on purifying the political landscape and reinforcing governance mechanisms. This report highlights key aspects of these efforts over the past quarter-century.

Constitutional Enshrinement of Governance Mechanisms: Since the beginning of his reign, King Mohammed VI has emphasized the need to combat corruption and promote transparency in public affairs. This commitment was reflected in numerous royal speeches, including the Throne Speech of July 30, 2001, where he called for “a deep administrative reform” aimed at simplifying procedures and making them transparent, efficient, and conducive to investment.

The 2011 Constitution further solidified these principles, emphasizing the connection between responsibility and accountability in public office.

Moralization of Political Life: Recent years have seen a marked increase in efforts to clean up political life and fight corruption. Notable appointments include Ahmed Rahhou as head of the Competition Council and Zineb El Adaoui as president of the Court of Auditors in March 2021, both tasked with strengthening oversight and governance.

The King’s speech on Throne Day in July 2023 reemphasized the importance of “linking the exercise of responsibility with accountability” and promoting good governance values.

Tangible Actions Against Corruption: The past three years, particularly 2023, have witnessed significant actions against corruption:

1. Numerous local council presidents, including parliamentarians, have been arrested and prosecuted for financial crimes, mainly related to urban planning violations.
2. The Ministry of Interior has referred files of several local council presidents to the Court of Auditors for budget management irregularities.
3. High-profile cases include the trial of MP Rachid Faiq and 16 others on charges of corruption and embezzlement.
4. Several parliamentarians have been arrested, stripped of their parliamentary immunity, or convicted on various corruption charges.
5. The recent implication of two prominent parliamentarians in a case linked to a notorious drug trafficker signals a potentially new era in tackling political corruption.

These actions demonstrate a renewed political will to address corruption and strengthen governance in public affairs, in line with King Mohammed VI’s vision for a more transparent and accountable Morocco as it marks 25 years under his rule.