Abdelilah Benkirane, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), described his party as the real winner of Morocco’s legislative elections, while acknowledging that it had expected to secure “more” seats.
Benkirane made the remarks during a party meeting following the legislative elections, in which the PJD ranked fourth with 54 seats.
The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) led the chart with 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 seats and Al Istiqlal with 65 seats, according to preliminary results.
Benkirane said the results had restored the PJD to a prominent position in Morocco’s political scene, stressing that “the battle is not over.”
“We have the right to rejoice in this victory, which in the end is a blessing from God. There is no doubt about that. And God willing, we will celebrate this victory,” he said.
He also designated Sunday as a day for celebrating the election results.
Benkirane rejects government participation
Commenting on PAM’s lead in the elections, Benkirane said a government led by the party would be “questionable.”
“Its victory is tainted by an electoral [fraud] operation,” he said, referring to allegations of electoral irregularities.
Benkirane also made clear that the PJD would not participate in a government led by PAM. This means the party would instead continue in opposition.
The result marks a major recovery for the PJD compared with the 2021 legislative elections, when it won only 13 seats.
“The role of PJD today in the history of Morocco and the history of the nation is a very, very major role,” stating that his party “brought down the government.”
“And even this government… We are supposed to bring it down as soon as possible.”
“Why would an opposition party exist if it does not bring down a corrupt and corrupting government? What would be the point?” he added.
PJD raises electoral irregularity claims
Ahead of the end of voting, the PJD’s central committee complained about alleged electoral irregularities in several districts, including Tangier.
The PJD said it had received complaints from several electoral districts, “the most serious of which concern the integrity of ballot boxes, including an incident detected by young people in the city of Tangier.”
The party also said its central committee “has been informed of reports that official ballot papers were found outside polling stations and were allegedly intended to be used in favor of a candidate from the ‘Tractor’ Party in Tangier.”
The party was referring to PAM.
For the PJD, “these practices constitute a serious infringement of the integrity of the elections in the district concerned, requiring urgent intervention by the relevant authorities and the public prosecutor’s office.”
PAM rejected the accusations, describing the Tangier incident as a “carefully orchestrated scenario.” The party said the allegations were an “attempt to target the party” and disrupt the electoral process, describing the incident as part of what it called a “political conspiracy.”
PAM said its leadership categorically rejected what it called a “conspiracy,” accusing “certain parties who have been unsettled by the party’s strong presence and citizens’ growing confidence in its program” of seeking to target it.
Security services opened judicial investigations into incidents in Tangier, especially into a video showing a glass ballot box containing white envelopes.
Police also arrested a man found at a polling station with electoral documents.
