Morocco’s ruling allies turn on each other before election campaign begins

What the report says

Morocco’s ruling coalition is entering the parliamentary election period with open internal friction, according to Al Jazeera. The dispute is unfolding before the official campaign begins on September 10, ahead of the September 23 vote for the House of Representatives. Candidate nominations opened on August 31, and the Interior Ministry said 702 candidate lists from 27 parties had been submitted by the first day’s afternoon.

Al Jazeera reported that the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the Istiqlal Party, which currently govern together, are also competing against one another for candidates, influence and the right to lead the next coalition talks. The latest tension surfaced after a leaked audio recording attributed to House Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami, an RNI figure, appeared to criticize senior government figure Fouzi Lekjaa and raised questions about who might control key ministries after the election. Public responses followed from RNI President Mohamed Chouki and Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.

Lekjaa, who also oversees the budget ministry and leads Morocco’s football federation, rejected the idea of dividing up government posts before the vote. Al Jazeera said the episode highlights how coalition partners can be rivals even while sharing power.

The election is significant because the party that wins the most seats in the lower house has the strongest claim in the process of forming a government, though it still needs coalition support. Key campaign issues are expected to include living costs, jobs, healthcare and education, while opposition parties such as the Justice and Development Party are trying to recover ground after major losses in 2021.