Election observation in Morocco
Now enshrined internationally, independent and impartial election observation has seen significant developments in Morocco since the 1997parliamentary elections.
Pioneering experiences
In 1997, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (Organisation Marocaine des Droits de l’Homme, OMDH), conducted the first observation mission ever in Morocco, mobilizing hundreds of its activists.
In 2002, and for the first time ever, the Collectif Associatif pour l’Observation des Elections (Collective Association for Election Observation) organized an observation mission, mobilizing nearly 800 associations and more than 3000 observers.
Five years later, the same Collective Association mobilized 1200 associations and 2825 observers to observe the 2007 parliamentary elections. The (former) Advisory Council on Human Rights and the National Democratic Institute also observed these elections, with 102 and 52 observers, respectively, bringing the total number of observers to 2979.
In the municipal elections of 2009, there were more organizations involved in the monitoring process and less observers (a total of 854 observers). The Moroccan Organization for Human Rights and the Moroccan Democratic Civil Forum (Forum civil démocratique marocain) participated independently in the observation, with 32 and 53 observers respectively. The Advisory Council on Human Rights accredited 119 observers and the Collective Association for Election Observation mobilized about 120 associations and 637 observers. And for the first time, a research team from the Autonomous University of Madrid, led by Pr. Barnabé Lopez, and an American think-tank participated in the observation, with 32 observers.
For the observation of the constitutional referendum, on the 1st of July 2011, CNDH mobilized 48 observers, the Collective Association for Election Observation 270 activists and the OMDH nearly 400 observers.
2011 parliamentary elections
The 2011 parliamentary elections were decisive in many respects. Besides the fact that impartial and independent election observation is now referred to in the Constitution and governed by a law, these elections mobilized a larger number of national and international non-governmental organizations, research centres and intergovernmental institutions, as well as diplomats and individuals. A total of 3799 observers were mobilized for the observation of the elections.
At the national level, 3498 badges were issued to monitor election campaigns, access polling stations and monitor the counting of votes for the Moroccan observers mobilized by CNDH (which 234 observers, a central unite of some 15 persons and 28 coordinators) and 11 Moroccan NGOs.
In addition to the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights, the Moroccan Democratic Civil Forum and the Collectif Associatif pour l’Observation des Elections (650 associations and 2728 observers), that observed previous elections, other human rights NGOs (such as the Centre for Peoples’ Rights (Centre des droits des gens), Al Karama Forum for Human Rights and the Instance marocaine des droits de l’Homme) observed the elections. Networks of women’s rights associations were also accredited to observe the parliamentary elections, such as the Democratic League of Women’s Rights (Ligue démocratique des droits des femmes) and Créativités féminines.
For the first time as well, two networks of youth associations (Youth Alliance for Reform –Alliance des jeunes pour la réforme– and the network of associations rallied around Programme concerté Maroc) were accredited to observe the elections, in addition to development NGOs, such as Mouvement Touiza -Ben Guérir Chapter.
9 international institutions (NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, research centres and diplomats) and a total of 301 international observers were accredited for operation. The European Union sent 7 electoral experts and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe accredited a delegation of 45 persons.
International organizations, other than the National Democratic Institute and the Electoral Observatory of the Autonomous University of Madrid which also observed the previous elections, were accredited to observe the 2011 parliamentary elections, including the International Crisis Group, Gender Concerns International, the (Amman-based) Arab Network for Election Observation, and the International Research Japan.
The National Human Rights Council also invited 47 personalities, and prominent human rights activists.
CNDH and the Special Accreditation Commission organized a training session for trainers, four training sessions for observers and four information and awareness sessions for more than 1100 national and international observers.
The training for trainers focused on the legal framework governing parliamentary elections, techniques for filling out questionnaires and techniques for conducting training workshops.
The four training sessions for observers sought to acquaint them with the legal framework governing parliamentary elections as well as with the techniques for filling out electronic questionnaires.
The four information and awareness sessions held for international observers shed light on the legal framework governing parliamentary elections, particularly the rights and suties of independent and impartial election observers, the specific aspects that can be observed during the election campaign, voting procedures, counting of votes, and the announcement of results.
