Constitution: 10 March 1972, revised 4 September 1992, amended (to create bicameral legislature) September 1996
Legal system: based on Islamic law and French and Spanish civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of Supreme Court
Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King HASSAN II (since 3 March 1961) head of government: Prime Minister Abdellatif FILALI (since 29 May 1994) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the king elections: none; the king is a hereditary monarch; prime minister appointed by the king
Legislative branch: unicameral Chamber of Representatives or Majlis Nawab (333 seats; 222 elected by popular vote, 111 indirectly elected by an electoral college made up of government, professional, and labor representatives; members serve six-year terms); note - bicameral legislature to be introduced in September 1997; members of the upper house will be indirectly elected to serve nine-year terms, with one-third of the members renewed every three years; members of the lower house will be directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms elections: popular elections last held 15 June 1993; indirect elections last held 17 September 1993 (next election will be for the new bicameral legislature with both indirect and popular elections scheduled to be held in September 1997) election results: popular elections - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - USFP 48, IP 43, MP 33, RNI 28, UC 27, PND 14, MNP 14, PPS 6, PDI 3, SAP 2, PA 2, OADP 2; indirect elections - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UC 27, MP 18, RNI 13, MNP 11, PND 10, IP 7, Party of Shura and Istiqlal 6, USFP 4, PPS 4, CDT 4, UTM 3, UGTM 2, SAP 2
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed on the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the king
Political parties and leaders: opposition : Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), Abderrahman YOUSSFI; Istiqlal Party (IP), M'Hamed BOUCETTA; Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), Ali YATA; Organization of Democratic and Popular Action (OADP), Mohamed Ben SAID; Democratic Socialist Party, Issa al-OUARDIGHI pro-government: Constitutional Union (UC), Abdelatif SEMLALI; Popular Movement (MP), Mohamed LAENSER; National Democratic Party (PND), Mohamed Arsalane EL-JADIDI; National Popular Movement (MNP), Mahjoubi AHARDANE; National Democratic Movement, Mohamed AARCHANE independents: National Rally of Independents (RNI), Ahmed OSMAN; Democracy and Istiqlal Party (PDI), leader NA; Action Party (PA), Abdullah SENHAJI; Non-Obedience Candidates (SAP), leader NA labor unions and community organizations (indirect elections only) : Democratic Confederation of Labor (CDT), Nabir AMAOUI; General Union of Moroccan Workers (UGTM), Abderrazzak AFILAL; Moroccan Union of Workers (UTM), Mahjoub BENSEDIQ; Party of Shura and Istiqlal, Abdelwaheb MAASH; Labor Union Commissions, leader NA
International organization participation: ABEDA, ACCT (associate),
AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CCC, EBRD, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending
member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, NAM, OAS (observer), OIC, OSCE (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamed BENAISSA chancery: 1601 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone : [1] (202) 462-7979 through 7982 FAX: [1] (202) 265-0161 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Marc C. GINSBERG embassy : 2 Avenue de Marrakech, Rabat mailing address: PSC 74, Box 003, APO AE 09718 telephone: [212] (7) 76 22 65 FAX: [212] (7) 76 56 61 consulate(s) general: Casablanca