On September 26, 2026, the Moroccan Justice and Development Party (PJD) made a significant political decision by unanimously agreeing to refrain from participating in the next government, which will be led by the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). This announcement came during an extraordinary session held in Bouznika, located in northern Morocco, where the party expressed its intention to position itself firmly within the opposition.
In a speech delivered on Thursday, the party's Secretary-General, Abdelilah Benkirane, who previously served as the head of the Moroccan government from 2011 to 2017 during the country's first Islamist-led administration, confirmed that the PJD would not be joining the new government. His comments reflect the party's strategic shift following the recent parliamentary elections.
According to the Ministry of Interior, PAM emerged as the leading party in the parliamentary elections, securing 97 out of 395 seats. The National Rally of Independents followed in second place with 66 seats, and the Independence Party came in third with 65 seats, while the Justice and Development Party managed to obtain 54 seats.
The national voter turnout for these elections was recorded at 38.02%, a notable decrease from the 50.18% turnout observed in the 2021 elections. In total, 28 parties competed through 1,850 lists, which included 7,288 candidates, of whom 2,658 were women, all vying for the 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
As stipulated by Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, the King appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that secures the most seats in the parliamentary elections, with other government members being nominated based on the Prime Minister's proposals. To achieve a parliamentary majority, at least 198 seats are required, paving the way for negotiations aimed at forming a governing majority following the election results.
The upcoming government will face various political, economic, and social challenges, alongside projects related to Morocco's preparations to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. In the previous 2021 elections, the National Rally of Independents topped the results with 102 seats, followed by PAM with 86 seats and the Independence Party with 81 seats, while the PJD only managed to secure 13 seats. The current government is led by Aziz Akhannouch, the leader of the National Rally of Independents, in a coalition that also includes the PAM and the Independence Party.
As reported by aa.com.tr.
