Who runs local government in Morocco?
Morocco has three levels of elected councils: 12 regions, 75 prefectures and provinces, and about 1,500 communes (municipalities). Since the 2011 Constitution and 2015 laws on 'advanced regionalisation', elected regional councils have more powers. But beside every elected body stands an official appointed by the King or the Interior Ministry, from the wali and governor down to the caïd, the sheikh and the moqaddem in each neighbourhood or village.
Kingdom of Morocco · Unitary constitutional monarchy · Northern Africa
The levels of government below the nation
| Level | How it is chosen | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Regions (12) | Regional council directly elected for six years; council elects its president. A wali appointed by the King represents the state | Economic development, regional planning, vocational training, transport. |
| Prefectures (urban) and provinces (rural) (75) | Council elected indirectly by commune councillors; governor appointed by the King | Social services, rural infrastructure and support to communes. |
| Communes (urban and rural, about 1,500) | Council (11–61 members; 81–131 in big cities with districts) directly elected for six years; council elects its president (mayor) | Local services: water and sanitation networks, waste, markets, local roads, civil records. |
| State officials below the governor | Pasha (in towns) and caïd (in rural circles) appointed by the Interior Ministry; sheikhs and moqaddems are auxiliary agents of authority recruited by the ministry | Represent central authority, issue many certificates, monitor local affairs. |
Three questions about local power in Morocco
Are local leaders elected?
Regional and commune councils are directly elected; provincial councils are indirectly elected. Walis, governors, pashas, caïds, sheikhs and moqaddems are appointed.
Which laws set up local government?
Councils and the appointed authorities are in the Constitution (Articles 135–146) and the three 2015 organic laws. The jmaa is customary, though collective land is regulated by law.
Who are local leaders accountable to?
Councils answer to voters every six years. Walis and governors exercise 'administrative control' over councils (Article 145) and can take decisions to court. Appointed officials answer to the Interior Ministry and ultimately the King.
Traditional and customary authority
The King is both head of state and 'Commander of the Faithful' (Amir al-Mu'minin), the highest religious authority. Mosques and imams are overseen by the Ministry of Habous and Islamic Affairs. In rural areas, the jmaa (a village assembly of household heads) still manages shared resources such as water, grazing and collective land in many places, alongside the formal commune. The moqaddem, a local representative of central government in each village or neighbourhood, is not a customary chief but is often drawn from the community he oversees.
Community and neighbourhood power
Morocco has around 25,000 villages and rural localities (douars) that have no legal status of their own; they are run informally by the jmaa and linked to the state through the sheikh and moqaddem. Associations and neighbourhood groups take part in local development programmes, and the Constitution requires councils to set up participation mechanisms and allows citizens to submit petitions to them.
Points to know
- The moqaddem is often the person residents deal with most: he knows who lives where and handles many everyday paperwork requests.
- Three regions (Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima) produced 58% of national wealth in 2019.
- Regions and communes are elected directly, but provinces are elected by councillors.
Local terms
- Moqaddem
- A neighbourhood or village-level agent of the Interior Ministry, not elected.
- Sheikh (cheikh)
- An agent of authority above the moqaddem, usually covering several villages or neighbourhoods.
- Caïd
- An Interior Ministry official in charge of a rural circle.
- Jmaa
- A traditional village assembly of household heads.
Sources
- Morocco's Constitution of 2011, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
- Country profile: Morocco (SNG-WOFI, 2022 edition), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
- Hoffman, K. E. (2000) 'Administering identities: state decentralisation and local identification in Morocco', Journal of North African Studies 5(3): 85–100, Northwestern University (author's copy), checked 14 October 2026
See also: Morocco's official statistics and leaders · the 10 levels of power.