Últimas horas de la campaña electoral marroquí: el PJD en riesgo de perder posiciones

For the first time in its history, Morocco will host a triple electoral event in which the Moroccan population is expected to elect members of the House of Representatives, provincial and district councils, in an electoral exercise that aims to encourage and encourage the Moroccan population to go to the polls. This appeal to the population aims to increase the turnout rate, compared to the elections held last year when the turnout did not exceed 43%.

It is also the first time that the results are calculated on the basis of the total number of those registered on the electoral lists, as a consequence of the entry into force of the new electoral law. Prior to the implementation of the legislation, the results were based solely on the number of voters. Now, with the new method, it is expected that the number of seats for the majority parties will be reduced, thus guaranteeing party pluralism in the Assemblies.

This new law also avoids the rule of one political current over the opposition. Thus, this measure allows small parties to have more power in the representative chambers, which promotes the strengthening of parliament and other elected institutions, while at the same time favouring democratisation. In this way, Morocco is preparing to persuade some 18 million Moroccans registered on the lists of 30 different political formations.

In the absence of opinion polls reflecting voter attitudes, estimates show that the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) will lose ground to its main rival, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which is expected to gain ground compared to the last elections. Observers say that the PJD is expected to lose 40 seats, which explains why the political party would have opposed the approval of a new legislative law, as opposed to the majority approval of the other parties in the House.
 

The group subsequently appealed to the Constitutional Court on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. However, the Court's decision ruled that the legislative reform was constitutional, as the new method would be in line with "what is stipulated in the 2011 Constitution". In this line, the Court affirmed that "the accreditation of Al-Qassem is based on registration, as unanimously agreed by the Moroccan parties".

Regardless of the results, however, political parties are expected to embrace a path for "a new development model", inaugurating a "new phase of projects and reforms", according to the message delivered by Morocco's King Mohammed VI in a recent speech. 

Moreover, these elections will be held under the umbrella of the new constitution adopted by the Kingdom in 2011, which grants the government and parliament broad powers. However, despite the extension of powers, decisions on sectors such as agriculture, water management and energy will continue to be issued by royal decree.

On the eve of Election Day, the election campaign finally came to an end. This campaign has been marked by the peculiarity of the current pandemic situation, which has significantly restricted the holding of public events and rallies, leading the parties to switch from face-to-face events to virtual campaigns. Analysts fear that this transformation may have had an impact on future participation because not all of the population has access to digital platforms and, in more rural areas, there is still a significant digital divide.