PJD Gives a Lesson to its Political Foes in Partial Elections

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, October 6, 2012

The PJD popularity survived the confidence test in the partial elections held last Thursday in Tangiers and Marrakesh.

The constitutional council had cancelled earlier three parliamentary seats won by the Islamist party in reaction to the accusations leveled by the PJD political foe, the Party of Authenticity and Modernity( PAM), for using religious symbols during its electoral campaign.

The polls revealed a resounding victory of the PJD in Assila-Tangiers with the election of two PJD MPs Abdellatif Berroho and Mohamed Diaz while the Party of Constitutional Union candidate Mohamed Zemmouri won the remaining seat. Similarly, the PJD candidate Ahmed El Motassadeq won the disputed seat in the Giliz-Nakhil electoral district in Marrakesh.

The PJD was resolute to ascertain its popularity among voters. Despite the buzz stirred by the rejection of the election results by the Constitutional Council, all the prognostics gave the Islamist party the upper hand in Tangiers, one of the PJD fortified bastions.

During the partial elections campaign, the PJD did not leave anything at random. Indeed, the pre-election meetings were attended by 10 ministers from the Islamist party in order to cement the party’s electoral base and to enhance its chances to survive this electoral test.

Bilal Tlidi, the member of the PJD National Council told reporters after the elections that “the PJD won the partial election with 55 per cent, a rate higher than its performance in the 2011 legislative elections.” Tlidi went on to day that” all the assumptions that heralded the PJD defeat in the partial election were groundless.”

He asserts “Despite the criticism leveled against the government performance, the partial elections proved that the Moroccans still support the PJD-led government in its reform endeavors,“ he added.

The PJD proved once again that its popularity resides in the confidence granted by its electoral base. Nevertheless, can this confidence resist for the test of time especially with the delay of consistent and tangible reforms? Time will tell.