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Is Morocco a Model or a Mirage?

Neither of these two polar-opposite views, model or mirage, does justice to Morocco's uniquely mixed picture or prospects, writes David Pollock.
Jordan's King Abdullah (R) speaks to Morocco's King Mohammed (C) as they meet at the Royal Palace in Amman October 18, 2012. King Mohammed is on a three-day official visit to strengthen bilateral relations.  REUTERS/Ali Jarekji   (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS) - RTR39A84

Morocco is the one country where mass protests during the initial Arab Spring of early 2011 produced fundamental yet peaceful reform, but without regime change.  In June of that year, a popular referendum approved a new constitution in which the king is no longer called “sacred” and must appoint his prime minister from the party with the most parliamentary seats. In November, a competitive election brought an opposition, avowedly Islamist political party to lead the government for the first time: the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) and its current prime minister, Abdelilah Benkirane. 

Since then, the country has been largely calm. Occasional small-scale protests persist in various cities and provincial towns. Yet a few weeks ago, on the second anniversary of the “Feb. 20 Movement” that brought hundreds of thousands of demonstrators out into the streets of Morocco’s major cities in 2011, barely a thousand turned out for protests in the capital of Rabat.

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