Rabat – A series of press releases on the Justice and Development Party’s website show the organization is reigning in its contact with the domestic and international media after Friday’s elections for unspecified reasons.
The ruling Justice and Development Party released a statement Saturday afternoon saying Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane will not be speaking to members of the press for an undefined period of time.
The unusual announcement came after the Moroccan Interior Ministry announced that Benkirane’s party won 125 seats – the most of any party competing in the October 7th legislative elections.
“Secretary-General of [the PJD] Abdelilah Benkirane would like to inform journalists from different national and international press agencies that he will not be conducting any press conferences or making any statements,” the short release read in its entirety.
In another related release, the party stated that Benkirane is the only PJD member authorized to speak on behalf of the party regarding the October 7th elections.
“Today democracy won,” Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane declared earlier today as the results began pouring in. “After leading the government for five years, after implementing reforms, after its achievements, after carefully managing the budget and reforms with the retirement fund…after widening health care coverage, after all of this—thanks be to God—today, the Moroccan people have given the PJD a victory.”
