Morocco third democracy in MENA, British study

London, Nov. 19 - A study on the degree of political and civic freedoms, carried out by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 20 countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region ranks Morocco third most democratic countries in the region.

The study places Israel first with 8.20 points, followed by Lebanon with 6.55 points, while Morocco got 5.20.

Countries were marked according to precise criteria, including transparency in election laws, the right to form political parties, party presence in the opposition, transparency, participation of minorities, freedom of assembly, independence of the judicial system, freedom of the press, rule of the law and freedom of belief.

The study places Tunisia seventh, Algeria thirteenth, Syria nineteenth, despite the liberalisation efforts made by the president Bashar Al Assad, as noted by the study, while Libya brings up the rear with only 2.05 points.

Iraq and Palestine, in spite of occupation, share the fourth rank with 5.05 points, says the study.

Here’s the list:

Israel: 8.20
Lebanon: 6.55
Morocco: 5.20
Iraq: 5.05
Palestine: 5.05
Kuwait: 4.90
Tunisia: 4.60
Jordan: 4.45
Qatar: 4.45
Egypt: 4.30
Sudan: 4.30
Yemen: 4.30
Algeria: 4.15
Oman: 4.00
Bahrain: 3.85
Iran: 3.85
UAE: 3.70
Saudi Arabia: 2.80
Syria: 2.80
Libya: 2.05