The politics of monarchical survival in Jordan and Morocco

¶ … politics of Monarchical Survival in Jordan and Morocco

Introduction broader perspective view into the forms of monarchy prevalent in the present day world in general defines the common peculiarities of the modern monarchies. Some of the monarchies are in operation since long and most are of recent origin, however, have been reformulated to a great extent to be adaptable to the needs of the nation state. The Islamic type of Monarchy is not particularly unique irrespective of the fact that the convention from which it hails clearly is mixing Arab tribal custom charismatic leadership and the Persian convention of quasi-divine kingship in its earlier manifestations. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World)

In these circumstances the legitimating of the candidate or successor is significant, however, is often been quite ambiguous since the ruler need to obtain the consensus/acceptance of the 'ulama', and undertake to enjoin what is desirable and forbid that is blameworthy. Another characteristic of the nature of power in the traditional Islamic political thought is that there are no definite, universally adopted, doctrines of lawful resistance to injustice. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World) We shall have a discussion of the monarchy which is prevalent in the Muslim nations of Jordan and Morocco.

Jordan

The Royal Family of Saudi Arabia is considered to be the largest monarchy in the Middle East with vast number of members. The Royalty of Jordan is considered to be the most beloved. Jordan, a small state, established in a permeable regional system and striving to survive the local and internal risk lends itself to an exploration that highlights the internal factors of foreign policy behavior and the connection between the regime consolidations, legitimatization and survival. (Salloukh, 1996) Monarchy is considered to be the most significant convention in Jordan. The Constitution envisages that all the members of the government and judiciary are appointed by the king and the representatives to the lower house of the legislature are elected by the people. (the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan)

The king is empowered to convene, open, adjourn, suspend or dissolve the legislature. He is he commander of the armed forces, chief promulgator of law, declares war, conclude peace and signs treaties. The king even though has the veto power to be challenged by the two-thirds majority in both the houses of the legislature, actually reigns by the rulings and is not liable to any one. The allocation of power is at his prudence. As per the convention and Islamic law the royal succession is by male descent from among the Haschimite dynasty. The ruling of the king includes the authority to bar the particular heirs from the royal succession by his verdict. In 1965 king Hussein barred he sons of his first wife. (the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan)

When no appropriate successor is traced out one is to be chosen by the National Assembly. At the incident of the disability of the king by illness his authorities are exercised by a deputy, by a council of the throne appointed by the king or when the king is not capable of such appointments by the Council of Ministers. (the Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan) in 1946 the Jordan becomes a free country after being under the British reign since 1919. The Hashemite family has ruled Jordan since 1923. In 1946 the Jordan was formally renamed from the Emirate of Trans-Jordan to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. King Hussein bin Talal was on the throne from 1952 till 1999, when he died to be succeeded by his eldest son Prince Abdullah. (Jordan. UK trade and Investment)

King Hussein had lived longer than his entire age band and was considered to be the largest serving head of the state in the Middle East. Hussein could succeed the challenges exerted by the Cold War rivalry that split East and West and are associated with nearly every major leader inclusive of the nine U.S. presidents during the four decades of his reigning. Tal, Lawrence. (July, 1993) it is worth probing the successes of the policy of Hussein that survived the Monarchy in Jordan in these years. The 'success' indicates to the capability of the regime to preserve authority and regulation over the political process and to neutralize the disruptive influences of trans-national conventions on the internal political setup. (Salloukh, 1996)

Hussein was secured by the conventionally loyal military and effective influences of public order. His contacts with the neighboring states were based on strong foundations. Peace prevailed in the borders of Israeli-held jurisdictions. Jordan was successful in repressing the attacks from its land that would have led to Israeli vengeance however barring a few isolated incursions into the Israeli-held territory by extremists of the Palestine Liberation Organization-PLO. Even though disputes prevailed between the Jordan and various Palestinian leaders on the issues of Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, the relations with Yasir Arafat wing of PLO was considered to be of less antagonistic in comparison to the Syrian-supported extremists like Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General command. The disruptive activities of the Palestinian extremists in Jordan were fully restrained by the security forces. The suspects of uprisings among the Palestinians under the Israeli occupation may creep into the Palestinian population of Jordan that had not been succeeded. (Jordan: Chapter 5)

With a view to consolidating and legitimizing his reign Hussein could effectively apply the conventional, religious and pan-Arab symbols. He professed and represented himself as the head of the family as much as the king of the country. His governance witnessed generously lavished material and political rewards to achieve the loyalty of the leaders of the conventional Jordanian society. His rule could successfully maintain the balance of power and positions among its tribal supporters in terms of the political loyalty and reach to the government or military posts. (Salloukh, 1996) Hussein could successfully put side by side the images of tradition and modernity in tactful methods. Since he ruled Jordan and not merely headed it, the effectiveness of Hussein in approaching the multiple Hashemite identities or 'royal personae' was considered to be a prime feature of his elaborate apparatus of power. (Shryock, 2000)

The success of the Hashemite regime has inculcated its ability to influence the other two main segments in the kingdom: the Transjordanian and the Palestinian. The Hashemite regime has effectively used social and economic policies in generating devotion to the regime and to integrate the different fractions of the society in Jordan. The techniques employed in his regime for attaining the political integration of the Palestinian refugees were extending them the Jordanian citizenship. The regime affords to weaken the Palestinian identity, suppress separatist Palestinian feelings and includes them into the institutions. Moreover, ever since the creation of Jordan, of course in exchange for loyalty or at least, agreement to Hashemite rule, the regime has dependent upon the foreign powers to extend its feasible strategies of existence. (Salloukh, 1996)

The Palestinian loyalty was achieved through the Palestinian assurance of economic felicity. The position of Jordan as an indirect beneficiary of the Arab oil economy has contributed towards the existence of the regime in terms of the growing neo-patrimonial political economy on the base of the Hashemite monarchy that led to the survival of the regime. All political parties were isolated in April 1957, making the political activity almost standstill. As a method to integrate its domestic position and guarantee its survival the regime effectively utilized in the words of Donald Horowitz 'structural techniques' mostly involving the reformation of electoral arrangements. (Salloukh, 1996)

The election results were maneuvered by giving soldiers the right to vote at the place of their deployment on the day of election and also by confining the right to vote only to those who paid a type of tax on asset. The regime succeeded in restraining the political activities effectively. The electoral arrangements were remolded to emphasize parochial allegiances, aggravating the relations between the different Palestinian groups. (Salloukh, 1996) the student activism was more meticulously regulated through the confinements on political organizations, demonstrations and meetings. (Internal Security)

At last the cutthroat competition among political parties in Jordan weakened their ability as an effective opposition, facilitating the effort of the regime at undermining their activities through the security services. The regime could succeed in neutralizing the Palestinian nationalist opposition figures through co-optation, usually by offering them non-sensitive ministerial or ambassadorial posts. The regime has resorted to the coercive measures in reinforcing its regulation over the domestic arena and secures its survival. The military support was a crucial part of the monarchy that the stability of the regime was completely secured unless the armed forces themselves could be destabilized. (Internal Security)

Irrespective of the fact that the episodes of the discontent over conditions of service had resulted from time to time the army dominated mostly by the Bedouins were considered to be the most stable institution in his reign. (Internal Security) the enforcement institutions have also played an important role in the building of the state and national integration. The survival of Jordanian monarchy is determined by its capability to capture power and regulate over the political process, its efficacy in stabilising the negative forces of trans-national ideologies on the domestic arena between the early 1950s and the early 1970s coupled with the coming out of a feeling of loyalty to the state and nationhood etc. (Salloukh, 1996)

King Hussein is magnanimous than the Jordan itself. The great talent of Hussein was his diplomacy in dealing with the people that are antagonistic to one another mercilessly and fundamentally that he approved wholly with them. Normally, the people were never aware of the impossibility of the agreement due to his effectiveness in dealing. The diplomacy is not normally related to integrity but in case of Hussein it was not true. (Foster, 1999) the efforts of King Hussein in prevailing peace in the region were internationally acclaimed. (Aquino, 2002) the stability in the Jordanian monarchy has raised great interest of United States and Israel, and was not ready to witness the fate of Jordanian monarchy in line with that of Libya and Yemen. Thus the diplomacy of United States is also played a crucial role in its survival. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World)

It is an agreeable fact that in a country without normal natural resources, against a considerable population antagonistic towards the dynasty blamed for their prevailing quandary that a highly vulnerable untried and very young man succeeded to a throne that he proceeded to occupy for almost fifty years. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World) With the sad demise of King Hussein in February, 1999, his eldest son Abdullah succeeded him. (Aquino, 2002) His Majesty Kind Abdullah II assumed as the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and his half brother, Prince Hamzah became the Crown Prince. (Jordan. UK trade and Investment) His new Cabinet became victorious in the Parliamentary vote of confidence having a lead of 66-12, considered to be the record lead. However, the prospects of the regime of Abdullah are considered to depend greatly on the personalities around him, the team that he assembles to lead. This factor is considered distinguishable. (Clarke, 1999)

Morocco

In Africa, the Royal Family of Morocco, the King Hassan II, is considered to be the most successful. He was acclaimed for prevailing unity in Morocco and working in pursuit of peace in the Middle East. King Mohammad VI presently reigning is his son. (Allman, 1974) the institution of monarchy in its present form and that is existed in the present Arab world with the partial exception of its expression in Morocco do not anticipate the twentieth century. In Morocco it has varied its functions very significantly in order to make it adaptable to the modern nation state, depicting the necessity of essential factors. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World)

The Moroccan monarchy in the 20th century is an illustration of the 'reinvention of tradition'. It has a perfect shurafa' ancestry which traces its origin to the 'Alawis/Filalis through the Marnis, Wattasis, and Sa'dis to the first Islamic dynasty of Morocco, the Idrisis. The Kingship was considered to be divine and the tile of King more appropriately, Amir al-Mu'minin, was recognized and respected as the descendants of the prophet - sada, ashraf - even though that honor is more widely spread and acknowledged in the whole Muslim world than the external world is aware. Viewing in this direction the survival of the dynasty is considered to be an accident particularly when compared with the Tunisian case particularly irrespective of the fact that the Husayni generation was not considered so illustrious or long-established and had no religious sanction, the monarchy dating from 1705 was no match for the charismatic leader of independence movement, Habib Bourguiba and suffered from a permanent end in 1957. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World)

As the sultanate could rarely distinguish it diplomatically, morally or politically, ever since it's first acquaintances with the colonial powers in the nineteenth century, it has the probability of 'Allal al-Fassi and the Istiqlal Party being played a very similar role in Morocco. Confronted with more or less 'conventional' national movement mustering strength in the 1930s and 1940s and continuing up to the post-Second World War periods the French were then either imprudent enough or perhaps shrewd enough to exile Muhammad V to Madagascar in 1953. In consequence of this the shouting of national movement resulted in return of Sultan from the exile and became the ruler in the post-independence period. Had Allal al-Fassi in 1940 not gone to Cairo in the late 1940s had never been the President of the republic that he may have envisaged or even became the prime Minster of a constitutional monarchy. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World)

As Muhammad V had exerted profound influence in the nationalist movement he was identified as the ideal of the just ruler. Even though the Moroccan monarchy is capable of utilizing its moral and spiritual capital to obtain the public support at various period in the past, the steady transition of the remote and vague, up to an extent, figure of Muhammad V to a national hero cum charismatic leader favored by the notations of 'Islamic legitimacy' is quite significant, particularly when the Bonaparte inclinations seems to be in vogue in any other part of Muslim World at a moment when Muhammad V died in 1961 leaving behind his reputations. (the Myth of Monarchy in the Arab World) in 1961, King Mohamed V was succeeded by Crown Prince Hassan II those presented a new constitution. In 1963 the first elected parliament met in the assembly. The Green March that took place in 1975 was considered to be the most important event in the Reign of Late Hassan II. (History of Morocco)

King Hassan II hailing from the dynasty that reigned Morocco over three centuries reformed his country from an illiterate and backward land to a modern twentieth century nation. He ensured inclination of people towards age-old traditions and past glory. During the last couple of decades irrespective of the war, the great efforts have been made in developing the nation. The present day per capita Gross National Product of the country is estimated to be the $1,100, which is four times more than at the time of independence. Improvement in education in the country has been extended through construction of the schools in all levels through out the country. At the time of independence about 90% of the populations were illiterate. Presently, about 50% of the people are literate considered to be a significant improvement but not exaggerated when compared to other Arab countries. (King Hassan II - creator of modern Morocco)

The accomplishment of the practical equality for women is considered as one of the greatest achievements of the King. His task became easier to some extent by the uninterrupted national sovereignty of the country maintained since the ninth century. This made the revolutionary enthusiasm that carried away several Arab governments unpleasant to many of his subjects. According to the people of Morocco, the King extends the continuity, legitimacy and progress of the nation. With high political capabilities he succeeded in using these ancient instruments to his advantage strongly controlling the government and striking with and iron hand the challenges of his internal enemies. (King Hassan II - creator of modern Morocco)

In respect of international affairs also he has been successful. In the Cold War periods he succeeded in tactfully attaining aid from the West without alienating the East. He did not afford to hurt his western supporters France and the U.S.A. Having a normal spiritual hold over his people that command both respect and terror during his tenure he is capable of effectively leading the nation. Irrespective of the fact that the much of the resources of the nation have been wasted away in struggling Polisario that was battling for an independent Saharan nation, the Moroccans supported the country blindly. (King Hassan II - creator of modern Morocco)

As is with most of the developing nations, Morocco was never been a one-party state. As the Algeria and many other Arab states adopted the Soviet style of central planning, King Hassan opted for a market economy. Since inception he maintained close relationship with the West and making the Morocco distinguishable in northern Africa, where the Soviet influence is considerable. He also was in favor of peace between the Arab States and Israel effecting secret diplomatic propositions in the early 1970s, when must of the Arab countries were striving to recover from the 1967 war. A new Constitution in 1996 provided for an elected lower house of Parliament for the first time. However, the ultimate authority was vested with the King with the powers to dismiss individual Cabinet ministers or entire Governments, to dissolve Parliament to veto legislation and to rule by decree. (Burns, 1999)

He chairs at the Cabinet meetings and deploys all senior civil servants and continues to be the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces. (Burns, 1999) in the political forefront, King Hassan had reformed the country from a total theocracy into a multi-party democracy. However, his control over the government was quite effective. Most Moroccans have profound respect for the centuries-old monarchy. In most of the country the role of the King as 'Prince of the Faithful' was accepted beyond doubt and prayers in the mosques were in his favor and his family. This coupled with effective coercive system had provided his enough flexibility as he thinks fit. (King Hassan II - creator of modern Morocco)