Morocco lowers voting age

Many young Moroccans are not interested in politics

King Mohammed VI of Morocco has announced that the voting age will be lowered from 20 to 18.

This is being seen an attempt to interest the younger generation in politics and thwart the rise of radical Islamist groups.

Politicians in Morocco are now coveting the youth

Khalid Jamai
Political analyst

September's parliamentary elections saw a record low turnout of just 52% and the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).

The PJD gained 42 seats to become the third largest party in parliament but it was left out of the new coalition government.

The king is seen as being more open to reform that his father, Hassan II, who died in 1999.

Earlier this year, his marriage to a computer engineer was announced publicly, in contrast to the usual secrecy surrounding royal weddings.

Challenge

King Mohammed took the decision to allow "the Moroccan youth to overwhelmingly join our project of a modern, democratic society", the official MAP news agency said.

The King is seen as being reform-minded

Political analyst Khalid Jamai said "Politicians in Morocco are now coveting the youth. This is a crucial challenge for traditional political parties".

Lowering the voting age has long been a demand of Moroccan left-wing parties and campaign groups.

The coalition government is made up of the Socialist Union of Forces for Progress and the nationalist Istiqlal Party.

But power remains mostly in the hands of the King.

Municipal elections are scheduled for June 2003.