Moroccan Reform Vote Tomorrow, Concerns Remain
The Moroccan constitutional changes, proposed in a speech by King Muhammad VI on June 18, will be voted on tomorrow. The plan for reform was hailed by the European Union while the three largest political parties in Morocco, ...
Bahrain: Critique of National Dialogue
Justin Gengler argues that Bahrain's National Dialogue Initiative, scheduled to begin July 1st, is undermined by parallel tribal dealings and its own structural deficiencies. Â He cites the mere third of seats allocated to political representatives and King Hamad al ...
Debunking the Exceptionalism of Monarchies
In an Al Jazeera editorial, political scientist Jillian Schwedler argues against the idea of monarchical exceptionalism, highlighting increasing popular pressure on Morocco, Jordan and the Gulf kingdoms. The idea is based on two premises: that monarchies which allow some political participation can tolerate more dissent because they do not pretend to derive their legitimacy from elections; and that monarchs have greater legitimacy rooted in religious credentials. Schwedler challenges the second ...