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Rabat – The Maan movement has pleaded for amending the organic law 27.11 relative to the chamber of representatives, in order to grant Moroccans residing abroad the right to participate in the upcoming 2021 elections, according to a statement posted on the movement’s Twitter account on February 28.
The move is an attempt to reinforce the political participation of Moroccan expatriates in their country of origin, by enabling them to exercise their right to vote in both local and national elections.
The Maan movement (meaning together) explains that the proposition aligns with the 2011 constitution reform, as the fundamental law of article 17 stipulates that Moroccans residing abroad can exercise their right to stand as a candidate and be eligible to vote. The law enables them to be nominated for local, regional, and national elections.
The movement highlights the challenge Moroccan’s living abroad face, as it is required for them to be physically present in Morocco either to vote or stand as candidates. Voting by proxy is possible through a family member, according to article 22.
The proposition emphasizes the establishment of polling stations in Moroccan consulates in host countries.
Read also: Moroccan Expatriates in Canada to Contribute to Moroccan Economy
Although their rights are preserved by the law, Moroccan expatriates do not see any constituency chairs reserved for them, as stipulated by law 04.21.
The movement’s major amendments include altering article one to allocate 10% of the seats which are allocated to local constituencies, namely 30 seats out of the 305 seats.
The amendment to Article two proposes two constituencies, one for Europe and the second one for the rest of the world. In the European constituency, 20 seats will be reserved due to the majority of Moroccans living in Europe.
Also part of the amendment request is article 22, granting Moroccan expatriates the possibility to stand as candidates in the allocated constituency, in addition to the local and regional ones.
The movement also proposes an amendment of article 72, making it possible to vote from embassies and consulates all over the world. Another proposal is about canceling the vote by proxy to adopt the electronic vote.
According to the Maan movement, the proposals aim to ensure voting equality among all Moroccans regardless of their location, including them in the national debate and promoting their attachment to their homeland.
The movement believes that the effective political inclusion of Moroccan’s living abroad will contribute to the improvement of the democratic vote.
