Justice and Development Party Shifts to Opposition Post-Elections
In a significant political development, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has officially decided to position itself as the national opposition. This decision follows the preliminary results of the legislative elections held on September 23, 2026, where the party secured 54 parliamentary seats. The party's leadership is calling for an extraordinary national council meeting to solidify this decision and strategize future actions.
In a bold move, the party is planning to initiate legal proceedings against the heads of polling stations, citing alleged criminal violations that marred the electoral process. This announcement was made during an exceptional meeting of the party's general secretariat, chaired by Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane on September 24, 2026.
The PJD noted that it has managed to more than quadruple its parliamentary seats, reclaiming significant public support in major and medium-sized cities, while also making inroads into rural constituencies. The party's document highlighted that all members of the general secretariat who ran for election won their seats, with substantial margins over their closest competitors.
From a legal and organizational standpoint, the PJD expressed its intention to file direct complaints against polling station officials who failed to promptly provide copies of the election operation records to the representatives. The party criticized the inflated number of polling stations, which exceeded 40,000, as a factor complicating the electoral process and creating opportunities for misconduct, including excessive monetary inducements to sway voters.
Despite what the leadership termed a positive outcome, the general secretariat criticized the current electoral system, asserting its commitment to continue advocating for necessary reforms. They pointed out that the removal of the electoral threshold and the adoption of what they described as a "strange and undemocratic electoral coefficient" deprived the party of gaining additional seats in specific local constituencies, including those in Skhirate-Témara, Meknes, Sale City, Sale New, Tangier, and Southern and Northern Fez.
The party also expressed concern over the low voter turnout in the recent elections, which marked the lowest participation rate since 2007. They attributed this decline to the devaluation of political and party work, the current government's poor performance, and the significant party hopping among coalition members before the elections. Additionally, the PJD criticized the promotion of pre-election scenarios regarding the head of government, viewing it as a usurpation of popular will and a violation of the constitution.
Internally, the party's leadership connected its electoral results to its ongoing performance as an opposition party and the integrity of its election campaign. They acknowledged that citizens are looking for a clean and honest governing performance based on the party’s previous experiences in government and local authorities.
In conclusion, the general secretariat reaffirmed that the party's natural position is to fulfill its constitutional roles from the opposition, defending national principles and citizens' issues. They noted the positive response from relevant authorities to the complaints raised by the party during the electoral process and extended their gratitude to voters who supported their lists.
As reported by mobachir.ma.
