Pro-democracy demonstrators marched through cities in Moroccao

Pro-democracy demonstrators marched through cities in Moroccao:
In Moroccao, thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators marched through cities on Sunday to protest constitutional changes they say fail to ease King Mohammed VI's autocratic grip on power.At least 1,000 people marched in the capital, Rabat. Thousands more rallied in Morocco's main economic hub, Casablanca, where pro-government supporters clashed with demonstrators. There were also pro-democracy protests in the port city of Tangiers and the popular tourist destination of Marrakech.The February 20 Movement, whose protests over the past few months prompted the king to initiate the reforms, denounced his new constitution as window dressing meant to preserve the monarchy's authority.

Under the proposals, the Prime Minister would no longer be appointed by the king, but would be selected by the majority party in parliament and designated as President of the government. The charter broadens the powers of the country's elected politicians and grants the judiciary more independence.Moroccan officials say 98 percent of Friday's voters approved the new constitution with a stunning 72 percent of the country's 13 million registered voters casting a ballot. The United States, European Union, France and Spain have welcomed the referendum in Morocco, which has strong ties to the West.