MOROCCO

Democratic Way

The current situation in Morocco

Abdallah Elharif

The current situation in Morocco is marked by a virulent offensive by the authorities (an almost absolute monarchy supported by a despotic and predatory state apparatus) against the masses, taking advantage of certain supposedly favorable international, regional and local conditions.

On the international level:

• Exacerbation of inter-imperialist tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
• Priority given to the supposed fight “against terrorism” by the imperialists.
• The offensive of world capitalism against the working classes and middle classes to get out of their deep crisis: austerity policies, the turn towards fascism in the imperialist states, etc.

On the regional level:

• Retreat of the revolutionary processes in the Middle East and the Maghreb: civil wars in Syria and Iraq, fighting among tribal and Islamist militias in Libya and the return to dictatorship in Egypt.
• Rise to power of the “old guard” of the Ben Ali regime in Tunisia. Although real democratic gains were also achieved, in particular the establishment of the new Constitution and the qualitative leap of the Popular Front, which became one of the most important forces in the country.
• The rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, etc.

On the domestic level:

• Reversal of the February 20 (F 20) movement, which is part of the unfolding revolutionary processes, whose spark jumped to Tunisia and ended up setting the entire region of the Arab world ablaze. A movement that embodies the struggle of the Moroccan people for freedom, democracy and dignity and against despotism and corruption. A movement which the Moroccan regime boasts that it has tamed for the sake of the “stability” of the country. But at what price and for how long?
• Taming by the authorities of the majority of political parties, trade unions and many of the civil society organizations.

That is, at a time when the authorities are undergoing a deep structural crisis due to the nature of their economy and their position in the international division of labor: production and export of raw materials, agricultural products and manufactured products with low added value (automotive and aeronautics industry, etc.) to satisfy the imperialists.

This whole situation has been aggravated by the crisis of capitalism, the chaos and depredation of all the ruling classes and the increased spending on the military and security. All this takes the form of public debt, austerity policies and a negative balance of trade, which consequently creates very low rates of growth, etc. Despite the fall in oil prices and the promises of a good year in agriculture, thanks to a favorable rainfall in December, the degree of maneuverability of the regime on social issues is almost zero; unless the tax and financial benefits and other forms of favoritism granted to the ruling classes (the comprador bourgeoisie and the big landowners) and imperialism are eliminated. This is improbable as the regime cannot do this, nor does it want to, due to its dependence on imperialism and the nature of all the ruling classes on which it is based.

On what is the offensive of the authorities based?

On anti-social measures:

• A rise of prices and freeze of wages.
• A staggering elimination of the Compensation Fund through which some basic and hydrocarbon products are financed.
•  Imposition of a “reform” in pensions, at the expense of wages, while the retirement age increases, contribution rates are raised and pensions lowered.
• A drop in public investments.
• Further reduction of funds for public education and quality public health care.
• Semi-freeze in public employment.
• Support to large landowners in their takeover of communal lands.

On the repression of movements of the popular struggle:

• The workers, unemployed graduates, students, peasants, inhabitants of marginal regions, the Amazigh movement, teachers, street vendors, residents of popular neighborhoods fighting for the right to housing, etc. have carried out numerous struggles against these measures. Most of these struggles were repressed through a ban on demonstrations, police raids, arbitrary arrests and trials without guarantees of due process.

On the repression of militant organizations that denounce the abuses of the authorities and that fight for human rights:

• The harshest repression is that which the Moroccan Human Rights Association (AMDH) has suffered: the diatribe of the Interior Minister against it in parliament, the banning of all its public activities, the mobilization of hired journalists to discredit it and tarnish its image before public opinion, the blackmail to withdraw its license as an association in the public interest, the rejection of its applications for legalization of its new local sections, the arbitrary detention of its activists, etc. All this because it is an organization that defends human rights universally and globally (civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights) and democratic freedoms (freedom of organization, assembly, demonstration, opinion, etc.); despite the fact that it exists in over one hundred cities and towns in the country.
• The democratic current of the Moroccan Union of Labor (UMT) has also not escaped this offensive and it is the victim of abuse and constant administrative obstacles that often have the sole purpose of suspension of its public activities: This current, which groups several union federations (agricultural, local collectives, civil servants, education) and numerous provincial and regional branches, was formed after the bureaucratic leadership of the UMT had expelled union leaders and secured its headquarters in Rabat that was in the hands of the militants of this current; this took place after a long struggle for the democratization of this trade union federation to put it at the service of the working class, to give its support to the F 20 movement, as well as to not participate in favor of the referendum on the Constitution in 2011.
• The same goes for the Democratic Way1: the systematic ban on its public activities, the denial of its request for permission to legalize its youth organization, the persecution and arbitrary arrests in its ranks (Wafaa Charaf, Boubker Khamlichi, Bouadi, et al.), etc.

This is taking place in a political climate marked by the preparation of the authorities for the election of representatives of the workers and the professional and business organizations for the Senate, in order to cover itself with a facade of democracy. Proof of this is the supervision of these elections by the Interior Ministry, veteran experts in the rigging and falsification of election results.

The authorities, aware of the disaffection of the citizens with the usual farcical election, refuse to withdraw the old electoral lists and reject the use of the national identification card as a valid document for voting. In this way it exercises a tight control, both in terms of financing and management or decision-making, of the local, provincial and regional bodies supposedly “elected” by the citizenry.

Moreover, the Sahara issue remains as always at a dead end, which is leading the country into more and more debt. Especially when one considers that this conflict is being used to justify both the arms race with neighboring Algeria, as well as to impose a “social peace” and achieve “national unanimity” under the pretext of defending its “territorial integrity” and also justifying the repression of the popular struggles and the anti-social measures.

The participation of the authorities in the imperialist wars in Africa, the Middle East and against “terrorism”. Besides proceeding with the normalization of open trade relations and hidden political relations with the Zionist entity, with the aim of:

• Winning favor with Zionism and imperialism, especially French and U.S. imperialism.
• Benefiting from advantageous loans, grants and rich markets of the Gulf.
• Entering forcefully into the West African market, which constitutes a challenge of the utmost importance for the authorities to overcome their deep economic crisis.

The Democratic Way is resisting this offensive:

• Strengthening its organization and taking root among the masses, particularly the working class and working masses.
• Forcefully supporting the democratic organizations: the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, the Democratic Current of the UMT, organizations of unemployed graduates, the National Union of Students of Morocco, the Amazigh (Berber) Democratic Movement, etc.
• Actively participating in the struggles of the popular masses against famine and for the defense of public social services, etc.: the workers’ struggles against layoffs and for improved working conditions, the peasant struggles in defense of their communal lands, the struggles in the popular neighborhoods for decent housing, the struggle of the street vendors, etc.
• The participation and heading of demonstrations and actions of solidarity with the peoples in struggle, in particular with the struggle of the Palestinian people for the liberation of their occupied territories, the establishment of a democratic and secular State in all of historic Palestine and the return of the refugees and against Zionism and its crimes against humanity.
• Denouncing, in Morocco and outside, the repression by the authorities and their maneuvers, their anti-social measures, the facade of democracy, the dependence on imperialism, the participation in the wars in West Africa and the Middle East and its dubious relationship with Zionism, etc.
• Supporting the February 20 movement so that it recovers all its glory.
• Carrying out unitary initiatives to build a democratic front that brings together all the political forces, trade unions and civil society organizations in Morocco. A front able to withstand the onslaught of the regime and to champion the struggle for a genuinely democratic State in our country.
•  Strengthening ties with progressive parties and organizations in other countries, particularly the countries of Western Europe, the Maghreb, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
• Working for the formation of an anti-imperialist front and laying the foundations for a Marxist international as instruments of solidarity among the peoples and their militant organizations (a crucible of experiences and theoretical developments).

Click here to return to the Index, U&S 30