Morocco’s PJD party to hold extraordinary session of party’s national council
Morocco’s former ruling political party—the Party of Justice and Development (PJD)—will hold an extraordinary national party council session today.
Today’s session follows the PJD’s stunning defeat in recent parliamentary elections, declining from 125 seats to just 12 in the 395-seat house. PJD’s leader and deputy also lost their seats and have now resigned. Winning 97 seats, the Independent National Rally (RNI) party, has already regressed PJD’s positions, closely aligning with Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
The PJD came to power in 2011 by promising reform and seizing upon the discontent with the King during the Arab Spring. But a key reason for its losses was the PJD’s inability to deliver this reform through their rigid political Islamic agenda. Still, their inability to deliver can also be seen as a result of the King’s unwillingness to cede greater powers to PJD’s civilian government despite his promises to do so.
Expect the PJD to discuss new leadership and rebuilding their party today. The party has already rallied around a narrative of election fraud; however, this narrative is unlikely to aid in rebuilding their supporter base. In the long-term, the PJD will likely be sidelined as a royal-RNI alliance to restore monarchical power.
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