RE: Morocco's Islamists

I know everybody wants to talk about Petraeus and Iraq, but I prefer to stubbornly remind anyone who is interested that there's always a lot more going on in the Middle East that we need to be thinking about. Hence, a few further observations on Morocco's parliamentary elections, now that the results are in:

--The shockingly low voter turnout of 37% signifies widespread impatience with the slow pace of political and economic reform. While Morocco's democracy is more genuine and lively than in most Arab states, Moroccans nonetheless are well aware that the monarchy holds absolute power in what remains a security state and that the parliament continues to lack a decisive role in governing.

--The unexpectedly poor performance by the Islamist Party of Justice and Development, increasing its seats from 43 to only 46, indicates that it has much to learn about being a successful political party. It alienated Islamists for not doing a better job of pushing Islamist issues and failed to attract secular Moroccans who view it as too Islamist and too opportunistic.

-- The PJD's poor showing offered further evidence that the "Islamic threat" in democratic elections in the Arab world is greatly exaggerated. As often as not, Islamist parties have done well due to the abysmal polices and records of ruling parties. If they have to complete on a level playing field, they won't do as well as the Islamophobes fear.

--The low turnout was also a vote of no confidence in political parties across the board, which in the Arab world are generally as politically bankrupt, even in opposition, as the regimes themselves. All in all, as Moroccan blogger Issandr El Amrani aptly noted (read his take on the elections on The Arabist), the message is that democracy is not just about elections. It's also about things like a culture of freedom, institutions for participation and respect for the rule of law; in brief, an environment in which healthy parties debate the issues, compete for influence and steer the nation.

--By Scott MacLeod/Cairo