You wouldn't know it from gleaning pluralism's returns, but it is democracy season in the Middle East. Or, let's just say, election season. Syria, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco all held parliamentary elections between spring and September, and Lebanon is about to have its presidential election. Is democracy sweeping the region? Not quite.

In every country except maybe Lebanon, the elections are more going through motions than effectuating serious change. Syrian President Bashar al-Asad was unopposed and re-elected to a second, seven-year term with something close to 98 percent of the vote, which recalls Saddam Hussein's last election in 2002 (although Hussein bested Asad: Hussein got 100 percent of the vote.)

Parliamentary elections aren't that much more credible. Take Morocco. When Moroccans went to the polls in 1984, turnout was 67 percent. They expected something to change. What they got was vote-rigging on a grand scale from Driss Basri, who was a sort of Karl Rove to the late King Hussein II--architect of all things political in Morocco. Barsi was also the architect of vote-rigging on a grand scale. When he died on Aug. 27 in Paris, maybe Moroccans remembered to what extent he'd gamed the system. So when Parliamentary elections were held on Sept. 7, turnout was a measly 37 percent. (It had dropped to 52 percent in 2002.)

Could it be that Moroccans, like their fellow-voters across the Middle East, are seeing through their governments' less-than-committed efforts to live up to promises of greater pluralism?

In Morocco in particular, King Mohammed VI, son of King Hussein, promised a break with his father's past, pledged a commitment to multi-party elections and earnest reforms to help the country make it into the 21st century. So far, more good intentions than action. See my profile of Morocco for details.