Morocco sets a shining example for the Mideast

You'd be hard-pressed to find a greater contrast last week in the Middle East than Libya and Morocco. While the bloodbath continues in Libya, Morocco was a different story. Libyans were fighting for their lives; Moroccans were listening to an unusual speech, in which King Mohammed VI promised "comprehensive constitutional reform," including changes in how the prime minister is chosen.

This is a big deal in Morocco. On Feb. 20, Moroccans took to the streets to demand more accountability and constitutional reform. Much of their anger was directed at the parliament and the political parties. The king, instead of cracking down, decided to speed up a process of decentralization and de-concentration of power. The idea is to move power and authority out of the capital, Rabat, and devolve it to local elected bodies.

That will entail monumental challenges for a country where local figures have not had responsibility for governance. The opportunity for graft is real and significant. To say there will be a steep learning curve would be a vast understatement.

The speech was praised by France and Spain. The United Nations and then, belatedly, the Obama administration added their commendations. The message was delivered by a State Department spokesman, rather than the secretary of state. Obama was characteristically silent. Last year, however, Hillary Clinton did praise Morocco as a "model to follow." Unfortunately, it is not a model she personally cared to tout last week.

So why is Morocco's political ethos so different from its neighbours? The consensus is: the Moroccan monarchy. For centuries the monarchy has been a symbol of unity in a country with a variety of languages and substantial regional differences. Moreover, as the highest religious authority in the country as well as its ruler, the Moroccan monarchy enjoys a legitimacy and respect that Moammar Gadhafi, Hosni Mubarak and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali could only dream of. This particular king has been on a path of economic and political reform, including women's rights and economic development, for 20 years.

What can the United States and, more important, Morocco's neighbours, learn from the king's approach? For the United States, this should be a reminder that Morocco is an ally that it can and should work with. To the extent that Obama has adopted the "freedom agenda" as his own, he'd be wise to provide financial, political and technical assistance.

Aside from money, the conversion to a more democratic system of local rule will require training in everything from urban planning to accounting for hundreds of local officials. And this probably isn't the time to decrease aid to the one uber-stable Muslim country in the region.

Most critically, Morocco can serve as an example to others in the region that the best defence against Islamic radicals and secular revolutions is a modernizing country that provides young people opportunity for economic success and political freedom.

Those not yet enveloped in the flames of revolution should think hard about the Moroccan example.

Excerpted from Jennifer Rubin's writing on the "right-turn" blog on washingtonpost.com

-- Bloomberg News

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 1, 2011 A15