Morocco’s King Mohammed VI won praise from Europe and the US yesterday after voters massively endorsed reforms offered in a bid to quieten protests inspired by uprisings in the Arab world.

More than 98 per cent of voters backed a new constitution curbing the king’s powers that was put to a referendum last Friday, preliminary results showed, with voter turnout at 72.65 per cent.

Faced with demonstrations modelled on those that ousted long-serving leaders in Tunisia and Egypt, Mohammed VI announced the referendum last month to devolve some of his powers to the prime minister and parliament.

The reform would “consolidate the pillars of a constitutional monarchy,” he said.

“We welcome the positive outcome of the referendum on the new Constitution in Morocco and commend the peaceful and democratic spirit surrounding the vote...,” said an EU statement.

“Now we encourage the swift and effective implementation of this reform agenda.

“Moroccan citizens should remain at the centre of this process and the inclusive dialogue with their representatives should continue and grow stronger,” it added.

The Moroccan people had made a “clear and historic decision”, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said in a statement.

“In the context of a shaken region, where the democratic process had to be imposed by confrontation, sometimes violent... Morocco has succeeded in four months, peacefully and with dialogue, to take a decisive step,” he added.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero also hailed the vote.

“The commitment shown by His Majesty to bring about these changes is becoming a reference point for many other countries,” he said. The US called the referendum “an important step in Morocco’s ongoing democratic development”.

But the youth-based February 20 Movement, which organised weeks of pro-reform protests, denounced the result and announced another demonstration today. They have already dismissed the king’s reforms as inadequate.

Under the draft constitution, the king will remain head of state, the military, and the Islamic faith in Morocco.

But the prime minister, chosen from the largest party elected to parliament, will take over as the head of government.

The reforms fall far short of the full constitutional monarchy many protesters were demanding and the movement had urged a boycott of Friday’s vote.