Authorities Crack Down on Alleged Electoral Fraud in Morocco
On September 23, 2026, Morocco held its parliamentary elections, which have now come under scrutiny following the arrest of five individuals suspected of electoral fraud. This investigation was initiated after the apprehension of a man found in possession of a bag filled with ballots at a polling station in Tangier. The Attorney General representing King Mohammed VI at the Tangier Court of Appeals stated that the initial arrest led to the detainment of five additional suspects for investigative purposes.
Among those detained are two electoral commission presidents and their respective deputies, alongside a fifth individual, as reported by the Moroccan news agency MAP. The four principal suspects are now in custody awaiting prosecution, while investigations continue regarding the fifth suspect. It has been revealed that the man found with the bag of ballots was the deputy president of an electoral commission. He, along with his superior, allegedly conspired to remove the ballots from the voting center and later introduce them into electoral offices.
The Attorney General emphasized that forensic investigations uncovered discrepancies in the ink used on the seized ballots, which differed from that used in official electoral offices. Consequently, the case has been escalated to a judge to determine whether the suspects are guilty of electoral crimes, forgery, and complicity in these acts.
Election Results and Political Landscape
In the aftermath of the elections, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), part of the current ruling coalition, emerged victorious, securing 97 seats in the House of Representatives. The National Rally of Independents (RNI), previously the main coalition partner, followed in second place with 66 seats. This result marks a significant shift from the 2021 elections, where the RNI held a more dominant position.
The Istiqlal Party (PI), the third member of the coalition, maintained its standing, claiming 65 seats—just one seat shy of the RNI's tally. These developments were confirmed by Morocco's Interior Minister Abdeluafi Laftit, who also reported an alarming voter abstention rate exceeding 60%. Furthermore, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PDJ) has shown signs of recovery from its significant losses in 2021, amid a backdrop of growing public discontent related to the political and economic climate, alongside tensions with Spain stemming from the crisis in late July involving the irregular entry of thousands into Ceuta.
As reported by notimerica.com.
