Editing History of Morocco (section)

===Reign of Hassan II (1961–1999)===
[[File:Hassan II, Marrakech, 1966.jpg|thumb|King [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]], on his way to Friday prayers in [[Marrakesh]], 1967.]]
Mohammed V's son [[Hassan II of Morocco|Hassan II]] became King of Morocco on 3 March 1961. His rule saw significant political unrest, and the ruthless government response earned the period the name "the [[Years of Lead (Morocco)|years of lead]]". Hassan took personal control of the government as prime minister and named a new cabinet. Aided by an advisory council, he drew up a new constitution, which was approved overwhelmingly in a December 1962 referendum. Under its provisions, the king remained the central figure in the executive branch of the government, but legislative power was vested in a bicameral parliament, and an independent judiciary was guaranteed.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitutional history of Morocco |url=https://constitutionnet.org/country/morocco |access-date=2022-04-17 |website=ConstitutionNet |language=en}}</ref>

In May 1963, legislative elections took place for the first time, and the royalist coalition secured a small plurality of seats. However, following a period of political upheaval in June 1965, Hassan II assumed full legislative and executive powers under a "state of exception," which remained in effect until 1970. Subsequently, a reform constitution was approved, restoring limited parliamentary government, and new elections were held. However, dissent remained, revolving around complaints of widespread corruption and malfeasance in government. [[1971 Moroccan coup d'état attempt|In July 1971]] and [[1972 Moroccan coup attempt|again in August 1972]], the regime was challenged by two attempted military coups.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

After neighbouring [[Algeria]]'s 1962 independence from France, border skirmishes in the [[Tindouf Province|Tindouf area]] of southwestern Algeria escalated in 1963 into what is known as the [[Sand War]]. The conflict ended after [[Organisation of African Unity]] mediation, with no territorial changes.<ref>{{cite web |author=P. Mweti Munya |url=http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1192&context=twlj |title=The Organization of African Unity and Its Role in Regional Conflict Resolution and Dispute Settlement: A Critical Evaluation |publisher=Boston College Third World Law Journal |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=556–557 |date=1999 }}</ref>

On 3 March 1973, Hassan II announced the policy of [[Moroccanization]], in which state-held assets, agricultural lands, and businesses that were more than 50 percent foreign-owned—and especially French-owned—were transferred to political loyalists and high-ranking military officers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=A history of modern Morocco|last=Miller, Susan Gilson.|date=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=9781139624695|location=New York|pages=184|oclc=855022840}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://aujourdhui.ma/focus/marocanisation-un-systeme-et-des-echecs-17906|title=Marocanisation : Un système et des échecs|website=Aujourd'hui le Maroc|date=7 September 2004 |language=fr-FR|access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref> The Moroccanization of the economy affected thousands of businesses and the proportion of industrial businesses in Morocco that were Moroccan-owned immediately increased from 18% to 55%.<ref name=":2" /> 2/3 of the wealth of the Moroccanized economy was concentrated in 36 Moroccan families.<ref name=":2" />

The patriotism engendered by Morocco's participation in the Middle East conflict and Western Sahara events contributed to Hassan's popularity. The king had dispatched Moroccan troops to the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] front after the outbreak of the [[Yom Kippur War|Arab-Israeli War]] in October 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/1975-09-01A.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170111130036/https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/1975-09-01A.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2017|title=The 1973 Arab-Israeli War. Overview and Analysis of the Conflict|last=CIA Intelligence Report|date=September 1975|website=CIA Library Reading room|access-date=22 February 2019}}</ref> Although they arrived too late to engage in hostilities, the action won Morocco goodwill among other Arab states.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} Soon after, the attention of the government turned to the acquisition of [[Western Sahara]] from Spain, an issue on which all major domestic parties agreed.<ref name="LOCprof" />

Following years of discontent and inequality during the 1980s, on 14 December 1990, a general strike was called by two major trade unions in the country to demand an increase in the minimum wage and other measures. In Fez, this broke into protests and rioting led by university students and youths. The death of one of the students further inflamed protests, resulting in buildings being burned and looted, particularly symbols of wealth. While the official death toll was 5 people, the [[The New York Times|New York Times]] reported a toll of 33 people and quoted an anonymous source claiming the real death toll was likely higher. The government denied reports that the deaths were due to the intervention of security forces and armoured vehicles. Many of those arrested were later released and the government promised to investigate and raise wages, though some of these measures were dismissed by skeptical opposition parties.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Rivet |first=Daniel |title=Histoire du Maroc: de Moulay Idrîs à Mohammed VI |publisher=Fayard |year=2012}}</ref>{{Rp|377}}<ref>{{cite news |title=33 Dead in 2-Day Riot in Morocco Fed by Frustration Over Economy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/17/world/33-dead-in-2-day-riot-in-morocco-fed-by-frustration-over-economy.html |work=The New York Times |date=17 December 1990 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=1990-12-16 |title=5 Die, 127 Hurt as Worst Riots in 7 Years Sweep Morocco City |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-16-mn-9259-story.html |access-date=2021-01-10 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bidwell |first=Robin |title=Dictionary Of Modern Arab History |publisher=Routledge |year=1998 |isbn=9780710305053 |pages=146 |chapter=Fez Riots (1990)}}</ref>