Thousands protest in Morocco for more reform

Protesters say king’s reforms do not go far enough

Monarch offered to devolve some of his powers

Changes to be put to referendum on July 1

By Souhail Karam

CASABLANCA, June 19 (Reuters) – Several thousand people marched through Morocco’s biggest city on Sunday to protest that constitutional reforms unveiled this week by King Mohammed have not gone far enough.

After some of the biggest protests in decades — inspired in part by the “Arab Spring” uprisings — the monarch announced on Friday he would devolve some of his powers to parliament and the government and put the reforms to a referendum on July 1.

Under the changes, the king would retain his hold on security, the army and religion. That disappointed some opponents who had wanted to see the monarch hand over all his executive powers to elected officials.

“We are here to reject the proposed constitution,” said Aziz Yaakoubi, one of the organisers of Sunday’s protest in Casablanca, Morocco’s commercial capital.
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