The Independence Party is entering a more advanced phase in its preparations for the highly anticipated legislative elections scheduled for September 23, 2026. The party has transitioned from merely managing internal nominations to actively redrawing its candidate map across various electoral districts. This strategic move early on unveils the contours of the competition that will define the upcoming electoral challenge.
Following a meeting held on Monday, August 3, the party's executive committee announced a fresh batch of endorsements after carefully reviewing the submitted files, which were subjected to scrutiny by the ethics and conduct committee. The party leadership asserts that this initiative aims to align candidate nominations with the provisions of the party's constitutional framework and internal code of conduct.
This new wave of endorsements spans several regions, from the north to the south, signaling the party's intention to expedite the formation of its local lists rather than waiting for the election date to finalize its candidate selections. In the Tangier–Tetouan–Al Hoceima region, for instance, the party has selected Mohamed Hammoudani to lead its list for the Al Hoceima district, while in the eastern region, it has nominated Touhtouh Mohamadi for the Nador district—a candidate who comes from the National Rally of Independents, one of the components of the ruling coalition.
Similar decisions have been made in the Fez–Meknes region, where Hassan Silghou was endorsed for the northern Fez district, Hassan Yemeni for the Meknes district, and Mohamed Soufan for the Taounate–Tissa district. In the Marrakech–Safi region, the party has selected Abdel Aziz Darwish for the city of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali, and in the Rabat–Salé region, it chose Idris Sentisi, a former parliamentary leader from the Popular Movement Party, for the Salé city district.
In the Beni Mellal–Khénifra region, the party has finalized the nomination of Abdel Ali Broki for the Azilal–Demnate district, while in Marrakech–Safi, it reaffirmed support for Abdel Aziz Darwish in the city of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali and endorsed Shadi Boullon for the Tan Tan district.
The significance of this endorsement batch lies not only in the number of names announced but also in the political nature behind these choices. The recruitment of candidates with previous experience from other parties, especially those within the ruling coalition, signifies that electoral competition is beginning to assert itself within the government alliance even before reaching the ballot boxes.
This aspect is particularly crucial as the parties forming the ruling coalition prepare for the same electoral event, which transforms several local districts into potential battlegrounds for candidates belonging to political components that are expected to unite within the governmental majority. However, they approach the elections with a different mindset influenced by considerations of seat distribution, local outreach, and the ability to mobilize voters.
From this perspective, the Independence Party's actions appear to be aimed at restructuring its local electoral presence. By balancing the retention of established party names with the inclusion of candidates possessing robust electoral networks and field presence outside traditional organizational frameworks, the party expands its maneuvering space in districts that require candidates capable of engaging in strong electoral competition, rather than limiting itself to internal organizational nominations.
This dynamic unfolds within a political context where parties are gradually transitioning from internal preparation stages to assessing power balances on the ground. As the September 23 election date approaches, the candidate selection process shifts from a mere organizational decision to a significant influence on local alliances, attracting influential figures and redistributing centers of power across several districts.
Furthermore, the party's reliance on the ethics and conduct committee to vet nominations adds an organizational dimension to this process, as the leadership seeks to present endorsements as outcomes of an internal institutional process rather than mere responses to local electoral pressures. This approach allows greater control over candidate selections, particularly in a phase where competition could intensify within the party itself regarding who has the right to run and who holds the best electoral prospects.
The second batch of endorsements simultaneously reveals that the Independence Party's battle will not only be waged internally but will also depend on the leadership's ability to reconfigure its local map and attract personalities capable of shifting the balance of competition in specific districts.
Future batches of endorsements are expected to provide clearer indicators of the party's electoral vision, especially in districts that witness overlapping electoral ambitions from candidates of majority parties. As the election day draws nearer, the distribution of nominations within these districts will become increasingly sensitive, potentially placing the coalition parties before a challenging test of how to separate governmental coexistence from electoral competition.
Thus, the endorsement process appears to be more than just an organizational step to cover electoral districts; it represents one of the first arenas of actual electoral conflict. Parties that succeed in finalizing their candidates early possess more time to build local campaigns, organize their networks, attract influential actors, and gauge voter sentiments before entering the official campaign.
The Independence Party presents this process as part of a trajectory aimed at selecting candidates who meet the criteria of competence, integrity, and deserving representation, capable of advocating for citizens' issues while emphasizing principles of accountability and responsibility.
However, what the upcoming batches will reveal is likely to be more significant than the organizational statements themselves: Will the party succeed in transforming these endorsements into actual electoral strength? Will the recruitment of figures from majority parties enhance its position within the coalition, or will it expand the competitive landscape among its components before reaching the election day? Such questions will gradually find their answers as the electoral map of the parties solidifies, transitioning the competition from the offices of political organizations to the districts that will ultimately define the balance of power in the next parliament.
As reported by kechpresse.com.
