Morocco is facing a growing corruption crisis, with public outrage, ongoing investigations, and a decline in global corruption rankings driving the country’s progress to a halt.
Recent figures show that 30 members of Parliament, from both the majority and opposition, are under investigation for financial mismanagement, bribery, and fraud. Some have even lost their seats and faced pretrial detention.
Transparency International (TI), a leading anti-corruption watchdog, reported a drop in Morocco’s position on its 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index to the 97th spot globally, dropping three places from 2022 and 24 places in five years.
Estimates reveal the staggering cost of corruption drains 5% of Morocco’s GDP annually, according to the president of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Money, Mohamed El Ghalloussi, who blamed political parties for exploiting their positions for personal gain while ignoring the issue.
His association, alongside other human rights activists, union representatives, and citizens, staged a protest earlier this year to demand the criminalization of illicit enrichment and a comprehensive anti-corruption approach, which El Ghalloussi says the government is blocking.
A draft law on illicit enrichment, initially included in the proposed revisions to Morocco’s criminal code, was withdrawn by the government from parliamentary consideration citing concerns that it violated the constitutionally protected presumption of innocence. But critics say this move signals a waning commitment to fighting corruption.
“The government is partially willing and unable to contain corruption, and the few integrity mechanisms applied are generally ineffective ,” said The National Commission for Integrity and Anti-Corruption in its latest report in March.
In his address to Parliament in January, King Mohammed VI called for “the adoption of a legally binding code of ethics for the two Chambers of the legislative institution,” the latest call in a series of royal bids to curb misuse of power in Morocco’s institutions.
The code, expected to be released this month, is still stalling, according to parliamentary sources who spoke to Hespress AR.
Sources had anticipated lower House speaker Rachid Talbi Alami to present a draft for the code end of May,leading some within parliament to believe a recent controversy regarding ministerial absences overshadowed the agenda.
“The need extends beyond a mere code of conduct for parliamentary work, but an urgent implementation of a comprehensive code of political conduct in the broader political landscape, encompassing parties, nominations, electoral behavior, local groups, and the selection of elected officials,”Ahmed El Bouz, a research professor specializing in constitutional law and political science told Hespress.
Boz emphasizes the importance of addressing the root causes and tackling the influence of prominent figures with financial and economic clout who enter politics through the selection processes of political parties. This, he argues,” is the true solution.”
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