Morocco's February 20th Movement (F20M) will blow out its first candle tomorrow. The movement is spearheaded by young people with no particular political allegiance and is inspired by other protests in the MENA region, and is triggered by social, economic, and political frustrations that have plagued the country for decades. It has been a year now that people are shouting out loud for real democracy, dignity, justice, and transparency, but their demands seem to fall on the deaf ears of a stubborn Makhzen (ruling elite) which has used every trick in the book to circumvent these demands, fight the movement, and muddy its image.
It has been a year now and Morocco is still at a point where two roads diverge in spite of much ado about change and reform. The centuries old Makhzen mentality still persists and there are no indications that it will change soon. The Makhzen has not made any concessions but only fidgeted in its seat to make itself more comfortable and tighten the grip. The decisions are still made behind the curtains by a mysterious Makhzen that has always hidden its face from the gaze of public accountability. The Moroccan soccer coach's salary case exemplifies the Makhzen institution's modus operandi. This refusal to disclose the coach's salary and all the tergiversations is a message from behind the scenes that the Makhzen has the final say in every nook and cranny and will not pander to all the wishes of the people lest they ask for more. Keeping things in the dark often serves the vested interest of that Makhzen either directly or indirectly.
It has been a year now and the Makhzen is loath to admit its mistakes and make amends. It has placed the country at a crossroad where it is neither a dictatorship nor a real democracy. The country still has opinion and pen prisoners and persecutees. The country still suffers from lack of transparency, embezzlement, nepotism, red tape bureaucracy, tax evasions, income divide, successive price rises, and rentier economy to mention only a few problems which need no more than strong will and determination to be solved or alleviated. The country is still at the mercy of a perversely unyielding Makhzen, lurking in the shadows and operating there. The country is still at the mercy of corruption which is “the real maestro in this country”, to use Abdellah Damoun’s words in today’s Almassae newspaper.
It has been a year now and I still have a misgiving that the Makhzen has its heart and soul in the reform. There are inside the Makhzen institution many who put spokes in the wheel of change because their interests conflict with the reform aspirations of the people. By so doing, however, they ironically fan the flames of anger and perpetuate frustration and instability. Frequent country-wide protests and self-immolations bear witness to the frustration and dissatisfaction of people with the pace, quality and quantity of change that is taking place. On the other side, F20M does not trust the Makhzen's intentions on tackling the pressing issues and does not seem to be leaving the scene anytime soon, which will keep both sides in a kind of "prisoner's dilemma" for a long time.
It might be argued, however, that the movement has not achieved any breakthrough of any significance, which calls the value of the movement into question. But looking at it from a larger perspective, one may find notable positive achievements: For example, the Movement's protests have pulled down the decades-long wall of fear of the Makhzen (one of the classic triads of fear in Morocco: Makhzen, floods, and fire). It has also exposed the magnitude of corruption in this illiteracy-stricken country as well as its main figures. Besides, the movement has precipitated the release of some 'opinion' prisoners and brought Islamists into power - a dream come true for a party with a religious reference. Last but not least, it has been able to "awaken the political consciousness of Moroccans" as Ahmed Benshemssi said.
It might be said, also, that Morocco has a new 'democratically' elected government, which strips F20M protests of their legitimacy and value. However, this can be countered that the current government has limited power to resolve the country's multiple and age-old issues. USFP is still there to confirm that the Makhzen is adept at burning political parties’ fingers, and at using them as shock absorbers in times of need to weather the storms and deflect pressure. Also, because democracy is taken and not given, F20M can act as the rightful custodian of the promised change that's dripping instead of moving normal speed.
The way the reforms are being carried out reminds me of a Moroccan bon mot which had its origin in the following anecdote:
Once, a knight led his men off to fight with a neighboring tribe. It was not long before news came that the knight had been the first to be killed. Upon hearing this, everyone in the tribe was surprised. Everyone, that is, except the town fool. "That guy was riding lopsided when they set out," he exclaimed. Ever since, this statement has been used to describe any endeavor that starts off on the wrong foot.
I sincerely hope to be wrong on this; that is, I hope the new government is not "riding lopsided". I also hope this new government will be given enough power, authority and jurisdiction to deal with the long-standing issues that rile the public most in order to restore people's trust and confidence in its institutions. I finally hope the government pushes the pedal to the metal because we have wasted too much time and because, in Ahmed Al Hafnaoui’s terms, “We have aged” waiting for Godot.
