Moroccan Parliament Cracks Down on Lawmakers’ Unconventional Dress Code

Soon we will be talking about parliamentarians wearing straw hats or cowboy hats! In a style that the subject is worth, Article19 writes: "In Morocco, a "laxity" that risks, over time, transforming the hemicycle into a real circus. And for good reason, in addition to the serious problem of absenteeism, the Chamber of Deputies is facing the phenomenon of the dress code of the elected representatives of the people, men and women, during parliamentary sessions".

And there would have been a profusion of colors in Parliament and deputies delighted to wear fashionable djellabas but still making one unhappy: Habib El Malki, the president of the chamber... He would have asked the elected officials to dress (next time) in a "suitable" manner out of respect for the image of the institution.

It should be noted that this request from El Malki is neither subjective nor personal. There is a code of conduct to be respected by parliamentarians, which is written in the internal regulations of the House of Representatives, and El Malki has only reminded those, these specialists in legislation, who have apparently forgotten it.

On this subject, Article19 writes that the said code "stipulates in its article 360 that the deputies, men and women, must wear a dress that reflects the respect due to the institution. Furthermore, article 16 clearly specifies that they must wear a "complete traditional outfit" (white djellaba) or a complete modern outfit, like a suit and tie".