Mohammed VI of Morocco

Mohammed VI of Morocco
Mohammed VI
محمد السادس‎
King of Morocco
Reign 23 July 1999 – present
Predecessor Hassan II
Heir apparent Moulay Hassan
Prime Ministers
Spouse Salma Bennani
Issue
Moulay Hassan
Lalla Khadija
House House of Alaouite
Father Hassan II
Mother Lalla Latifa Hammou
Born 21 August 1963 (1963-08-21) (age 48)
Rabat, Morocco
Religion Sunni Islam

Mohammed VI (Arabic: محمد السادس‎, born 21 August 1963)[1] is the present King of Morocco and Amir al-Mu'minin (commander of the faithful). He ascended to the throne on 23 July 1999 upon the death of his father.[2]

Contents

Education

On the day of his birth, he was appointed Heir Apparent and Crown Prince.[3] His father, King Hassan II, was keen on giving him a religious and political education from an early age. At the age of four, he started attending the Qur'anic school at the Royal Palace,[1] and received a religious and traditional education.

After primary and secondary studies at Royal College[which?] and after he received his Baccalaureate in 1981, Mohammed obtained in 1985 a Bachelor's degree in law at the College of law of the Mohammed V University at Agdal in Rabat. His research paper dealt with "the Arab-African Union and the Strategy of the Kingdom of Morocco in matters of International Relations".[1] He has also frequented the Imperial College and University of Rabat.[3] In the same year of 1985 he was appointed President of the Pan Arab Games and commissioned Colonel Major of the Royal Moroccan Army on 26 November, and Coordinator of the Offices and Services of the Royal Armed Forces until 1994.[3]

In 1987 he obtained his first Certificat d'Études Supérieures (CES) in political sciences and in July 1988 he obtained a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies DEA in public law.[1]

In November 1988 he trained in Brussels with Jacques Delors, then President of the European Commission.[1]

He obtained his doctorate in law (PhD) with distinction on 29 October 1993 from the French University of Nice Sophia Antipolis for his thesis on "EEC-Maghreb Relations".[1]

Mohammed was promoted to the rank of Major General on 12 July 1994, the same year he became President of the High Council of Culture and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Moroccan Army until 1999, the year he succeeded his father on 23 July, being enthroned at Rabat on 30 July.[3]

He received an honorary degree (doctor honoris causa) from George Washington University on 22 June 2000 for his promotion of democracy in Morocco.

Social reform and liberalization

Mohammed VI talks with U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington, 23 April 2002

Shortly after he took the throne, he addressed his nation via television, promising to take on poverty and corruption, while creating jobs and improving Morocco's human rights record. Mohammed VI is generally opposed by Islamist conservatives, and some of his reforms have angered fundamentalists. He also created a new family code, or Mudawana, which granted women more power.[4] The law came into effect in February, 2004.

In December 2010 Wikileaks published diplomatic cables which alleged high-level corruption involving the King himself.[5]

Royal Family of Morocco
Royal Flag of Morocco.svg

Mohammed VI also created the so-called Instance Equité et Réconciliation (IER), a commission, which was supposed to research human rights violations under Hassan II. The commission was however not allowed to report about human rights violations until 1999, when Mohammed was enthroned. This move was welcomed by many as a move towards democracy, but also criticized because reports of human rights violations could not name the perpetrators. According to human rights organisations, abuses still exist in Morocco.[6][7][8] The 2011 Moroccan protests were motivated by corruption and general discontentment towards politicians in general and by the desire of better life conditions motivated by the economic crisis. The King has answered the protesters with the promise of further reforms.

In a speech delivered on 9 March 2011 the King said that parliament would receive "new powers that enable it to discharge its representative, legislative, and regulatory mission". In addition to the powers of the judiciary being granted independence from the King. And the king announced that he was impaneling a committee of legal scholars to produce a draft constitution by June.[9]

On July 1 voters approved a set of political reforms that the King proposed. The reforms consisted of the following:[10]

  • The Amazigh language[11] is an official state language along with Arabic.[12]
  • The state preserves and protects the Hassānīya language and all the linguistic components of the Moroccan culture as a heritage of the nation[12]
  • The king has the obligation to appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in the parliamentary elections. Previously, he could nominate a technocrat in this position if no party has a decisive advantage, over the other parties, in terms of the number of seats in the parliament.[10][13][14]
  • The king is no longer "sacred" but the "integrity of his person" is "inviolable" [15]
  • High administrative and diplomatic posts (including ambassadors, CEOs of state-owned companies, provincial and regional governors), are now appointed by the prime minister and the ministerial council which is presided by the king, previously the latter exclusively held this power. [16][17]
  • The prime minister is the head of government and president of the council of government, he has the power to dissolve the parliament.[18]
  • The prime minister will preside over the council of Government, which prepares the general policy of the state. Previously the king held this position.[18]
  • The parliament has the power of granting amnesty. Previously this was exclusively held by the king [19]
  • The judiciary system is independent from the legislative and executive branch, the king guarantees this independence[20][18]
  • Women are guaranteed "civic and social" equality with men. Previously, only "political" equality was guaranteed, though the 1996 constitution grants all citizens equality in terms of rights and before the law[14]
  • The King would retain complete control of the armed forces, foreign policy and the judiciary;[21] authority for choosing and dismissing prime ministers[22] and he would retain control of matters pertaining to religion.
  • All citizens have the freedom of: thought, ideas, artistic expression and creation. Previously only free-speech and the freedom of circulation and association were guaranteed.[23] [14]

Wealth

Until recently the king and his family held stock in the ONA Group, a holding company with a diverse portfolio (mining, food processing, retail and financial services, etc.), although a new constitutional implementation disallowed this. Mohammed is estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth $2 billion and the Moroccan Royal Family has one of the largest fortunes in the world. His palace's daily operating budget is reported by Forbes to be $960,000, owing much of it to the expense of clothes and car repair.[24]

Family

Mohammed, who was born in Rabat, has one brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, and three sisters, Princess Lalla Meryem, Princess Lalla Asma, and Princess Lalla Hasna.

On 21 March 2002 in Rabat,[3] he married Salma Bennani (now H.R.H. Princess Lalla Salma) in Rabat, and she was granted the personal title of Princess with the style of Her Royal Highness on her marriage. They have two children, Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, who was born on 8 May 2003, and Princess Lalla Khadija, who was born on 28 February 2007.[4]

Decorations

Include:

Styles

Royal styles of
King Mohammed VI of Morocco
Coat of arms of Morocco.svg
Reference style His Majesty
Spoken style Your Majesty
Alternative style Sir

The official style of the King is His Majesty the King Mohammed the Sixth, Commander of the Faithful, may God grant him victory (صاحب الجلالة الملك محمد السادس أمير المؤميني نصره الله Ṣāḥib al-Jalālah al-Malik Muḥammad al-Sādis, 'Amīr al-Mu'minīn, Naṣṣarahu-Illāh). In contexts wherein he is executing a duty regarding the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, he is generally entitled the "Commander-in-Chief."


References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "King Mohammed Ben Al-Hassan". Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco. http://dcusa.themoroccanembassy.com/moroccan_embassy_political_system_the_king.aspx. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  2. ^ "World: Africa Mohammed VI takes Moroccan throne". BBC News. 24 July 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/402712.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  3. ^ a b c d e http://www.royalark.net/Morocco/morocco14.htm
  4. ^ a b "Morocco country profile". BBC News. 16 December 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/791867.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  5. ^ Black, Ian (6 December 2010). "WikiLeaks cables accuse Moroccan royals of corruption". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/06/wikileaks-cables-morocco-royals-corruption. Retrieved 16 June 2011. 
  6. ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (1 October 2005). "In Morocco, a Rights Movement, at the King's Pace". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/01/international/africa/01morocco.html?pagewanted=print. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  7. ^ Harter, Pascale (19 April 2005). "Facing up to Morocco's hidden fear". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4457267.stm. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  8. ^ "Morocco/Western Sahara: Amnesty International welcomes public hearings into past violations". Amnesty International. http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=80256DD400782B8480256F6A003CF643. Retrieved 18 February 2010. 
  9. ^ Mohammed VI speech
  10. ^ a b BBC News, June 29, 2011, "Q&A: Morocco's referendum on reform" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13964550
  11. ^ A standardized version of the 3 native Berber languages of Morocco: Tachelhit, Central Atlas Tamazight and Tarifit.
  12. ^ a b Article 5 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  13. ^ Article 47 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  14. ^ a b c 1996 Moroccan constitution
  15. ^ Article 46 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  16. ^ Article 91 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  17. ^ Article 49 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  18. ^ a b c AFP. "Maroc: la réforme constitutionnelle préconise de limiter certains pouvoirs du roi". Parisien. http://www.leparisien.fr/flash-actualite-monde/maroc-la-reforme-constitutionnelle-preconise-de-limiter-certains-pouvoirs-du-roi-17-06-2011-1498052.php. Retrieved 24 August 2011. 
  19. ^ Article 71 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  20. ^ Article 107 of the 2011 Moroccan constitution
  21. ^ Voice of America, July 30, 2011 "Moroccan King Calls for Prompt Parliamentary Elections" http://www.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Moroccan-King-Calls-for-Prompt-Parliamentary-Elections-126457118.html
  22. ^ Canada Free Press, August 18, 2011 "Arab Royal Houses Seek Affordable Medicines" http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/39565
  23. ^ Driss Bennani, Mohammed Boudarham and Fahd Iraqi. "nouvelle constitution. plus roi que jamais". Telquel. http://www.telquel-online.com/479/couverture_479.shtml. Retrieved 24 August 2011. 
  24. ^ Pendleton, Devon; Serafin, Tatiana. "In Pictures: The World's Richest Royals". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/2007/08/30/worlds-richest-royals-biz-royals07-cx_lk_0830royalintro_slide_8.html?thisSpeed=30000. 

External links

Mohammed VI
Born: 21 August 1963
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Hassan II
King of Morocco
1999–present
Incumbent
Heir apparent:
Moulay Hassan

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