Parliament of Morocco
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The Parliament of Morocco is located in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
Since 1997, the national legislature has become bicameral and has therefore two parliamentary chambers:
- The Assembly of Representatives or the lower house (Majlis an-nuwab). 325 members elected directly for a five-year term.
- The Assembly of Councillors or the Senate (Majlis al moustasharin). It is elected indirectly for a nine-year term by two sets of electoral colleges.
The Members of Parliament come from Morocco and the Moroccan-held parts of Western Sahara (under Moroccan law treated as the Southern Provinces).
Part of the reserve powers, the head of State (in this case the King of Morocco) has the right to dissolve the Parliament. In the past, during the "years of lead" under King Hassan II, this right was used extensively, along with suspensions and extensions of terms. Thus, until 1997, not a single elected Parliament was able to complete its term under normal circumstances.[1]
The role of Parliament, and the respect of the monarchy for its integrity, has increased considerably since 1999, when Mohammed VI took the throne. However, the power of Parliament is still being limited as it is the King who appoints the prime minister and on proposition from the latter, the members of government.
