By Loubna Flah
Morocco World News
Casablanca, June 18, 2012
The PJD did not stay hand tied when the constitutional council issued its decision to cancel three parliamentary seats won by the Islamist party in Tangiers during the legislative elections held last November. The decision was made on the ground that the PJD candidates used religious symbols during their electoral campaigns.
Among the seats cancelled figures that Mohammed Naïf Boulez, the current minister delegate in charge of public affairs and governance. The PJD members consider that anti -PJD campaign is nothing but retaliation against the party’s crusade against corruption. According to the Moroccan daily Al Massae, sources close to the party revealed that the offensive against the PJD came as a reprisal for the PJD’s Minister Mohammed Boulif who declared lately that some big companies and royal holding companies benefited largely from the compensation fund.
The same source added that the PJD militant Mr. Abdelatif Brouhou whose seat has been cancelled said that the constitutional council’s decision is scandalous. He expressed astonishment at the constitutional council mobilization to issue this decision while it has not considered the plea submitted by the PJD regarding fraud cases it signaled during the last legislative elections.
Mohammed Khouyi, the PJD secretary general in Tangiers where the PJD seats were cancelled said that he is not convinced by the constitutional council’s decision. “I don’t not believe that 43 000 voters cast the ballot for the mosque in the background rather than for the PJD’s reputation,” he said.
The constitutional council has also cancelled the PJD electoral list in Marrakesh, on the grounds that a big banner with religious symbols was used during the electoral campaign. More seats are likely to be cancelled in Beni Mellal in the future for the same reason.
Seemingly, the PJD is facing a resolute offensive that targets both its credibility and popularity among voters. The claim that powerful cronies in Morocco are playing the tit for tat game with the PJD should not be totally excluded. It is also noteworthy that the government’s stability will be in jeopardy if more PJD parliamentary seats are cancelled. The question remains how long the PJD ministers can keep their composure while their efforts to fulfill their promises are constantly hindered.
© 2012 Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved
