The Istiqlal Party is making significant advancements in its preparations for the upcoming legislative elections scheduled for September 23, 2026. The party's leadership has transitioned from managing internal nominations to redefining its list of candidates across various electoral constituencies. This early shift highlights the competitive landscape that is expected to characterize the forthcoming electoral process.
Following a meeting of the executive committee on August 3, the party announced a new wave of endorsements after reviewing candidate files and subjecting them to a vetting process by the ethics and conduct committee. According to the party's leadership, this initiative aims to ensure that nominations align with the statutes and internal code of conduct.
The latest endorsements were distributed across several regions, from north to south, indicating the party's intent to expedite the establishment of its local lists rather than waiting until closer to the election date to finalize their candidates. For instance, in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, the party has selected Mohamed Hammoudani to lead its list in the Al Hoceima constituency, while in the eastern region, Mohamadi Touhtouh has been chosen for the Nador constituency, a candidate previously affiliated with the National Rally of Independents, one of the government coalition parties.
In the Fes-Meknes region, the party has endorsed Hassan Sleghoua for the northern Fes constituency, Hassan Yemeni for the Meknes constituency, and Mohamed Soufan for the Taounate-Tissa constituency. Meanwhile, in the Marrakech-Safi region, Abdel Aziz Darwish has been selected for the city constituency of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali. Additionally, in Rabat-Salé, Idriss Sentissi, a former parliamentary leader of the Popular Movement party, was endorsed for the Salé city constituency.
In the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region, the party has finalized the nomination of Abdel Ali Broki for the Azilal-Demnat constituency. The significance of this latest batch of endorsements lies not only in the number of candidates announced but also in the political nature of the choices made. Attracting candidates with prior experience from other parties, particularly those within the government coalition, reveals that electoral competition is beginning to assert itself within the governmental alliance even before the ballots are cast.
This aspect is particularly crucial as the parties forming the governmental majority prepare for the same electoral event, suggesting that several local constituencies could become battlegrounds for candidates from political components that are typically aligned within the government but are approaching the elections with differing strategies driven by seat calculations, local influence, and the ability to mobilize voters.
From this perspective, the movements of the Istiqlal Party appear to be aimed at **restructuring its local electoral presence** by balancing the retention of established party names while also opening the door to candidates with robust electoral networks and on-the-ground presence outside the traditional organizational framework. This strategy allows the party to enhance its maneuverability in districts where strong candidates are necessary to engage in fierce electoral competition, rather than relying solely on internal organizational nominations.
This dynamic unfolds within a political context that is gradually witnessing parties shift from internal preparation to testing power balances on the ground. As the September 23 date approaches, the candidate selection process is transforming from an organizational decision into a significant factor in shaping local alliances, attracting influential figures, and redistributing centers of influence within several constituencies.
Moreover, the party's recourse to the ethics and conduct committee for vetting nominations adds an organizational dimension to this process, as the leadership aims to present these endorsements as a result of an internal institutional process rather than merely a response to local electoral pressures. This approach grants the leadership greater latitude in controlling candidate selections, especially during a phase where competition within the party itself may intensify regarding who is entitled to run and who possesses the greatest electoral prospects.
Simultaneously, the second wave of endorsements indicates that the Istiqlal Party's electoral contest will not merely be conducted from within but will also be influenced by the leadership's ability to reconfigure its local map and attract personalities capable of altering competitive dynamics in specific constituencies.
Upcoming endorsement batches are expected to provide clearer insights into the party's electoral vision, particularly in districts where aspirations intersect among majority party candidates. As the election date draws nearer, the distribution of nominations within these constituencies will become increasingly sensitive, potentially placing government coalition parties in a challenging position as they navigate between governmental coexistence and electoral competition.
Therefore, the endorsement process does not merely represent an organizational procedure for covering electoral districts; rather, it stands as one of the initial battlegrounds for genuine electoral conflict. Parties that successfully finalize their candidates early will have more time to build their local campaigns, organize their networks, attract influential actors, and gauge voter sentiment before entering the official campaign period.
The Istiqlal Party presents this process as part of a trajectory aimed at selecting candidates who meet the criteria of competence, integrity, and merit, capable of representing citizens and advocating for their concerns, while underscoring the principles of accountability and responsibility.
However, what the upcoming endorsement batches will reveal is likely to be more significant than the organizational data itself: **Will the party succeed in transforming these endorsements into actual electoral power? Will attracting figures from majority parties enhance its position within the coalition, or will it expand the competition among its components before reaching election day?**
These questions will gradually find their answers as the electoral map of the parties becomes complete, transitioning competition from the offices of political organizations to the constituencies that will ultimately determine the power dynamics in the next parliament.
As reported by kechpresse.com.
