Thousands rally for democracy in Morocco (AFP)

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AFP) – Thousands of demonstrators, including Islamists, held peaceful rallies in Rabat, Casablanca and Tangiers Sunday to demand greater political reforms and social justice in Morocco.

The latest protests were organised by the youth-based February 20 Movement behind months of demonstrations calling for reforms in the Arab world's oldest reigning monarchy.

In Casablanca's Sidi Othmane suburb, several thousand protesters shouted slogans to demand "a democratic constitution" and "greater social justice", AFP reporters witnessed.

Militants of the Islamist Justice and Charity Group, banned but tolerated by the government, were among the group.

Hundreds of pro-government protesters also gathered in Sidi Othmane, waving flags and portraits of King Mohammed VI, chanting: "Long live the King" and singing the antional anthem.

The two groups were kept apart by the security forces, out in large numbers.

At the same time, more than 1,000 protesters gathered in the capital Rabat and several thousand in Tangiers.

The protests are inspired by similar movements that have toppled regimes in Tunisia and Egypt and by popular uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world.

They continue despite a referendum in which 98 percent of voters approved reforms proposed by the king, but boycotted by the February 20 Movement, which curbs the monarch's near-absolute powers.

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Morocco overwhelmingly approves curbs on king's powers (AFP)

RABAT (AFP) – Moroccans have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution curbing the vast powers of King Mohammed VI after authorities offered reforms in a bid to quiet protests inspired by uprisings in the Arab world.

More than 98 percent of voters had backed a new constitution put forward in a referendum on Friday, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui announced on state television just after midnight. Voter turnout had been 72.65 percent, he added.

Faced with demonstrations modelled on those that ousted long-serving leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, Mohammed VI announced the referendum last month to devolve some of his powers to the prime minister and parliament, saying the reform would "consolidate the pillars of a constitutional monarchy."

Critics were quick to denounce the result and the youth-based February 20 Movement, which organised the weeks of pro-democracy protests, announced it would hold another demonstration on Sunday.

"The movement will demonstrate peacefully on Sunday to protest against this ridiculous result," Najib Chaouki, one of the movement's leaders, told AFP.

"This referendum was illegal because it was marked by massive violations of democratic principles," he said.

The United States had hailed the referendum on Friday, with State Department spokesman Mark Toner telling reporters it was "an important step in Morocco's ongoing democratic development."

Under the draft constitution, the king will remain head of state, the military, and the Islamic faith in Morocco.

But the prime minister, chosen from the largest party elected to parliament, will take over as the head of government.

Mohammed VI, who in 1999 took over the Arab world's longest-serving dynasty, offered reforms after the February 20 Movement organised weeks of protests that brought thousands to the streets to call for more democracy, better economic prospects and an end to corruption.

The reforms fall far short of the full constitutional monarchy many protesters were demanding and the movement had urged a boycott of Friday's vote.

Throughout a brief campaign, the new constitution was fiercely backed by Morocco's main political parties, unions, civic groups, religious leaders and media. The campaign was dominated by the "yes" side, with few signs of an organised "no" vote movement.

Pro-government newspapers hailed the vote Saturday, with Liberation praising the "massive participation and serene atmosphere" while Le Matin said the vote had been held with "serenity, enthusiasm and patriotic engagement."

Liberation praised voters who "chose to meet their date with history and give body and soul to the social and modernist project whose realisation all Morrocans aspire to."

Along with changes granting the prime minister more executive authority, the new constitution will reinforce the independence of the judiciary and enlarge parliament's role.

It will also remove a reference to the king as "sacred", though he will remain "Commander of the Faithful" and "inviolable".

The new constitution will also guarantee more rights to women and make Berber an official language along with Arabic -- the first time a north African country has granted official status to the region's indigenous language.

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Suspects on trial over Morocco cafe bombing (AP)

RABAT, Morocco – Seven people went on trial in Morocco Thursday for the bombing of a Marrakech tourist cafe that killed 17, one of the worst terrorist acts to hit the North African kingdom.

The proceedings were postponed until Aug. 18 to allow lawyers for both the victims and the defense more time to prepare. Both sides pleaded their cases on Thursday's opening day.

The April 28 explosion tore through the Argana cafe in Marrakech's old town, a popular tourist destination. Several of those killed were foreigners.

Defense lawyers asked that the suspects be released pending the next court session, but the court refused.

The defense lawyers also complained about the conditions of detention, comparing them to the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo. The prosecutor responded angrily that the claim was exaggerated.

The chief suspect, Adel Othmani, appeared relaxed in the courtroom, and turned several times to wave and smile at family members. He was arrested three days after the explosion, and Moroccan police say he has loyalties to al-Qaida and tried to travel to Iraq and Chechnya.

Families of the suspects staged a protests in front of the court, complaining that they had not been able to visit their loved ones behind bars.

Among the charges facing the suspects are premeditated murder, explosives possession, and membership in a banned religious group, according to the state news agency MAP.

The dead included Moroccan, French, British, Swiss and Portuguese victims.

The attack shook relatively peaceful Morocco, a staunch U.S. ally that drew nearly 10 million tourists last year to its sandy beaches, desert and mountain landscapes, and historic sites.

The blast came several weeks after King Mohamed VI promised constitutional reforms to shepherd in more democracy amid a push across the Arab world. Moroccans vote in a referendum on the reforms Friday.

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Rival groups march over king's reforms in Morocco (Reuters)

CASABLANCA, Morocco (Reuters) – Thousands of rival demonstrators marched through cities in Morocco on Sunday over constitutional reforms proposed by King Mohammed after unrest inspired by "Arab Spring" uprisings in the Arab world.

Critics of the reforms say they do not go far enough to reduce his powers. The march against the monarch's measures was the latest in a wave of protests in the North African state and comes days before a July 1 referendum on the reform plan.

"We reject the offers made (by the king). They keep the essence of authority in the hands of a non-elected person who will not be subject to any form of accountability," said Hamid, a jobless 38-year-old among 7,000 protesters who marched through a working class suburb of Casablanca, Morocco's largest city.

Aziz Yaakoubi, a member of the "February 20" pro-democracy street movement named after its founding date, said two of the protesters were injured after being pelted with stones by a group of rival demonstrators in favor of the king's reform.

A smaller rally of about 2,000 people opposed to the king's proposals marched through the capital Rabat, separated from rival marchers by dozens of baton-wielding riot police.

"The police encircled us, they didn't let us march to the parliament," said Najib Chawki, one of the coordinators of the movement, which is urging supporters to boycott the vote. "It shows that the powers in Morocco have no interest in changing."

The 47-year-old king unveiled the reforms this month after some of the largest street protests the Arab world's longest-serving dynasty has seen for decades. His fortunes are being watched by other monarchs, notably in the Gulf.

PREACHERS TOLD TO BACK REFORM

The new charter still allows him to name a prime minister -- but this time only from the party that wins most seats at parliamentary elections -- and to vet appointments of other ministers and suggest the termination of their mandates.

It explicitly grants the government executive powers, but it keeps the king at the helm of the army, religious authorities and the judiciary and still allows him to dissolve parliament, though not unilaterally as it is the case now.

The Moroccan street movement has not won the mass support that toppled leaders of Tunisia and Egypt and does not demand an end to the monarchy. It focuses instead on the king's perceived growing business influence and his grip on the political system.

National income per head in Morocco was $2,810 in 2009, according to the World Bank, higher than Egypt's $2,070.

But Morocco ranks 13 places below Egypt at 117th in the United Nations' Human Development Index, a measure of quality of life based on factors such as child welfare and life expectancy.

"Surely there is graft and a lot of oppression. But the new constitution will change everything," said 19-year-old Casablanca resident Karim Azhari.

"It will bring state education up to the same level as the private sector and it will reduce unemployment," he said. Asked why he thought that, he replied: "That's what they tell us."

Authorities on Friday ordered mosque preachers to urge worshippers to vote for the reform, saying it would be unIslamic to disobey the king, described in sermons as "God's appointee."

Mustapha Nazih, a cleric at a pro-reform march in Casablanca organized by Boutchichiya Zawiya, one of Morocco's biggest and wealthiest sufi schools, said he had come all the way from the town of Beni Mellal, 300 km (190 miles) from Casablanca.

"We didn't have to pay for the bus fare. The Islamic Affairs Ministry asked us to come to Casablanca and we did so happily."

(Writing and additional reporting by Mark John in Rabat; Editing by Matthew Jones)

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Can fresh Morocco protests build momentum for reform? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Fes, Morocco – Morocco's pro-democracy activists launched fresh protests Sunday, despite King Mohammed VI's Friday speech announcing a draft constitution that would limit the powers of his country’s centuries-old monarchy.

“We are sticking to our demands,” says Elabadila Maaelaynine, who joined thousands of other protesters in Casablanca to reject the king’s proposals, which they say don't go nearly far enough.

Rival protesters supporting the king – some genuine, others reportedly pushed by local authorities to speak in his favor – also took to the streets, and the pro-democracy demonstrators had to change their location after they were “attacked” with bottles and sticks by pro-king demonstrators, says Mr. Maaelaynine.

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Despite a groundswell of support for democratic reform, however, many Moroccans are satisfied at the pace of change in the kingdom and want to avoid the type of tumultuous "Arab Spring" revolutions they've seen in fellow North African countries, such as Tunisia and Egypt.

“Imagine if the king suddenly says that he is going away … there will be chaos,” says Mohammed Montasir, a journalist in the northern city of Fes, adding that Moroccans are not seeking a revolution but a “movement against privileges” of the ruling elite.

How much reform is enough?For four months now, activists have campaigned for the king to transfer powers to elected representatives and reign only as a symbolic head.

In Friday's speech, he announced the constitutional reforms he had promised in March after the first bout of protests.

The most significant proposed change is the boost in the executive powers of the prime minister and the parliament. For instance, the prime minister would appoint and remove ministers as well as dissolve the lower house of parliament in consultation with the king.

The king, however, is not divorced from executive power. The king would choose the prime minister from the party that wins the elections and he could also dissolve the parliament in consultations with the prime minister and members of the new constitutional court, half of whom he would appoint.

The continued presence of the king in the executive branch ignores the key protester demand of separation of powers. He also remains the military and religious head of the country.

While the king is offering a constitutional monarchy, the demand is for a parliamentary monarchy like the United Kingdom. For the activists, the king’s reforms are piecemeal and if they compromise now then the momentum they have generated for comprehensive change will be lost.

They also suspect that the king is trying to rush a referendum on proposed reforms a€“ he set the vote for July 1 a€“ before mass resistance can be mobilized.

The activists push backThe pro-democracy movement – called February 20 (after the first day of widespread protests in Morocco) – is made up of the web-savvy youth, left-leaning parties, and Islamists.

Peaceful rallies have attracted tens of thousands of people. A few of these demonstrations have been violently dispersed by government forces but not as brutally as protests in much of the Arab world.

Athman Hajhamou and Maniar Othmane are engineering students and activists in Fes. They argue that those who support the king do so because theya€™ve never known any other alternative. The current dynasty has ruled for more than 350 years.

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Unlike his father, the 47-year-old king remains popular for improving women’s rights and ordering a probe into tortures committed by the state during his father’s reign. More recently, Morocco has been accused of torturing Islamist figures suspected of terrorism after suicide bomb attacks killed 45 people in Casablanca on one day in 2003.

“You elect your leaders, you support them, and you can reject them,” says Mr. Othmane. “You don’t have to love your ruler; you love your country.”

Will the movement lose steam?Some observers predict that the movement will lose steam. Unlike the regimes of other Arab countries, the monarchy in Morocco has a certain legitimacy that can’t be dismissed, analysts say.

“The February 20 movement is finished now, because the king has answered the people’s movement,” says Jawad Kerdoudi, head of the Moroccan Institute of International Relations, speaking by phone from Casablanca.

February 20 has more than 60,000 followers on Facebook and they are calling on people to study the draft of the constitution, but 44 percent of Moroccans are illiterate. Activists are concerned they may be "duped" by the king's speech.

“Change depends on the strength of the movement," says Athman, "its ability to mobilize, to protest on the streets, to keeps its peaceful nature, and for democratic forces to remain united.”

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Protests called for Morocco Sunday

Protests are planned for Morocco Sunday, despite the pledge of reforms from King Mohammed VISome protesters will gather Sunday; others oppose ideaMoroccans will vote for the constitution in a referendum slated for July 1King Mohammed's role would be that of "citizen king"Mohammed says the constitution will guarantee independence of the judiciary

Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- Some protesters not satisfied with the Moroccan king's proposed constitutional reforms have called for a peaceful demonstration Sunday.

"The national coordinators (of the movement) have called for a demonstration Sunday for a truly democratic constitution and a parliamentary monarchy," a member of the Rabat wing said Saturday. "The plan as proposed by the king yesterday, does not respond to our demands for a true separation of powers," he said Saturday.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco declared sweeping reforms that will boost the power of the prime minister and take away some of his own.

Morocco's revamped draft constitution will make officials more accountable, the parliament in Rabat more dynamic and will give the government greater powers, the 47-year-old king said in a nationally televised address.

A Casablanca-based spokeswoman for the reform movement said "tomorrow there shouldn't be nationwide demonstrations as all Moroccans are happy with the king's speech."

The movement has called for the creation of a parliamentary monarchy, an end to the influence of the king's inner circle and for a crackdown on corrupt officials. Spain and Britain are examples of a parliamentary monarchy.

In his 30-minute speech Friday, the sovereign described the draft constitution as "a bedrock of the special Moroccan democratic development model -- a new historical bond between the throne and the people," while describing himself as a "citizen king."

His actions followed a series of unprecedented protests not seen before in this North African modern Muslim country, where street protests are normally tolerated by the state, unlike in most other Arab countries.

If the draft is ratified in a referendum set for July 1, its most radical change would be empowering voters to select a prime minister, thereby ending the longstanding practice in which the king has selected his own man for the job. The prime minister has tended to take his lead from the sovereign on key matters of state.

If Moroccans back the draft, then the new prime minister would have new powers in decision-making and in day-to-day management -- relieving the king of a number of duties and aligning the style of management along the lines followed by some European Union countries.

In an example of power sharing, the draft constitution empowers the prime minister to dissolve the House of Representatives, and stresses that the king shall consult him before announcing the dissolution of parliament.

"It specifies the conditions to be observed in each case in order to ensure the separation of powers as well as balance and cooperation between the branches," the king said.

Friday's speech stems from a process that was first announced in March, after widespread civil unrest in the wake of the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt.

The king instructed a hand-picked committee to consult with political parties, trade unions and civil society groups on constitutional changes with a brief to trim the monarch's political powers and make the judiciary independent. But not all civil society groups were consulted, which sparked a wave of demonstrations across the kingdom from groups who feared they would be left out of the new plan.

This move alone -- to grant real power to an elected prime minister -- could satisfy a number of demands from those members of society who have called for change.

Confirming the full authority of the head of government over cabinet members, the draft constitution gives the prime minister the power to propose and dismiss cabinet members.

But King Mohammed will remain a key power-broker in the security, military and religious fields, according to the draft. For example, the king would still serve as "the supreme commander of the armed forces" and would not relinquish the power to appoint ambassadors and diplomats under the new constitution. Furthermore, the king would retain the power to dissolve parliament after consultations with the new constitutional court, half of whose members he would have appointed.

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Pressure on Morocco spikes over blast

Moroccan media report the identity of the bomber, citing French news reportsThousands march in Marrakech to protest the bombing and oppose calls for violenceThe death toll from the April 28 bombing in a popular tourist destination rises to 17A North African al Qaeda group denies responsibility

Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- Moroccan authorities continued Monday with their investigation into last month's bombing in Marrakech after a weekend protest rally in there heightened tension over the attack.

Further details -- including the identity of the bomber -- have been doled out to Moroccan media in what is perceived as an initiative by the government to calm the atmosphere following the demonstration, which was followed by a 24-hour sit-in by youths in front of Marrakech's courthouse.

Over the weekend, reports indicated that the death toll from the attack had risen from 16 to 17.

Thousands of Moroccans took to the streets of central Marrakech on Sunday to show their defiance toward the bombers and toward a call for mayhem by the North African cell of al Qaeda. The peaceful march was organized by the youth movement Fevrier 20. Protesters paraded their banners -- many of which of denounced the killings and supported political reform -- through Morocco's most liberal tourist hot spot.

Morocco is currently in the midst of a radical reform process brought about by King Mohammed VI, who is concerned about the stability of this North African country.

On Saturday, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, the North African wing of al Qaeda, issued a statement officially denying involvement in the April 28 bombing in Marrakech. But the group -- which is currently holding French hostages and demanding that French President Nicolas Sarkozy remove troops from Afghanistan -- has used the bombing in an attempt to rally extremist factions against the Moroccan monarch.

However, its call for the Moroccan regime to be "toppled" appears to have fallen on deaf ears, at least for most Moroccans. About 8,000 protested in a rally in Jamaa el-Fnaa Square, in front of the cafeteria where the bomb went off. Many drank orange juice in a symbolic protest against terrorism, since that's what the bomber ordered just before leaving the scene to detonate two bombs that he left there in a bag.

"We're here to denounce terrorism and the killings in Marrakech," explained one young Fevrier 20 supporter, who wished to be known only as Yassir. "But we don't want to say that this should stop the process of the struggle for reforms," he added.

Moroccan media Monday reported the identity of the bomber, attributing the information to reports in French newspapers, as no official confirmation has been offered by the Ministry of the Interior. They reported that the man is a Moroccan national and is being held by police, along with two alleged accomplices. He is said to be a young man from the coastal town of Safi who was working at the town's port.

The death toll increased to 17 when a Swiss victim passed away on Saturday, according to Swiss authorities. On Sunday, one British victim, a travel writer named Peter Moss, 59, was buried in a cemetery in North London in a service attended by the Moroccan ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Earlier speculation from the government suggested the bombing was the work of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a regional wing of the infamous terrorist organization that has sent fighters to Iraq and been accused of several Algerian bombings. Last week, Morocco's interior minister stated that he believed the bomber to be "loyal" to the North African terror cell.

On Saturday, an official Mauritanian state news agency reported that al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb denied responsibility for the killings, but urged Moroccans "to liberate their oppressed, jailed brothers and to topple the criminal regime," in what is widely interpreted as a reference to the king and his government. "We deny involvement in the bombing and assure that we have nothing to do with it, neither up close nor from afar," said the statement, carried by the Nouakchott Information Agency in Mauritania.

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Morocco: Remote detonation apparent

Marrakech residents stand in front of the Argana cafe on Friday, one day after the explosions.NEW: Death toll is revised downward to 15NEW: Bomb is remotely detonated, interior minister said.NEW: French police are to help Moroccans in the investigation

Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- The bombing that ripped through a popular cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakech apparently was set off at a distance, the state-run news agency said on Friday, citing the nation's interior minister.

Maghreb Arabe Presse quoted Taib Cherqaoui as saying that preliminary investigations show that the Thursday assault was conducted by people who remotely detonated the bomb. That development would rule out suspicions of a suicide mission.

"We will investigate this act of terrorism and find those responsible ... and their nationality," Cherqaoui told reporters about the attack. "We condemn it as a criminal act."

Also, a French police team has been sent to Morocco to assist authorities in their probe, the French Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Authorities revised the death toll from 16 to 15 in the strike, which also injured nearly two dozen people.

In an address on state-run television Thursday, Cherqaoui and King Mohamed VI said the fatalities included six French nationals, five Moroccans, and four others whose nationalities were not divulged. CNN has learned that two of those slain were Russian.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at Cafe Argana in Marrakech's old city, which is designated by the United Nations cultural arm as a World Heritage Site. Tourists flock to old city in high numbers this time of the year, and it is usually packed with stalls, story-tellers and snake-charmers.

World leaders moved quickly to condemn the incident. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "appalled," according to a statement from his office. "He reiterates his firm rejection of the use of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians and maintains that no political objective justifies or is served by such heinous acts."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States "condemns in the strongest terms (Thursday's) terrorist attack," adding, "Acts of terrorism must not be tolerated wherever and whenever they occur."

And French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned what he called a "barbarian terrorist attack, which nothing can justify."

Juppe said French authorities will provide assistance to French nationals in Marrakech.

A German tourist described a chaotic scene following the blasts.

"We were walking around the souks, right around the corner from Cafe Argana," said the tourist, who was about 50 meters from the blast when it occurred. "We heard a gigantic boom, and everyone immediately starting running towards the square to see what happened."

The woman, who didn't want her name used, told CNN the top floor and terrace of the cafe were "ripped apart" by the blast, which caused hundreds of people to run from the area.

CNN's Mitra Mobasherat and journalist Martin Jay contributed to this report

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