Low turnout prompts crises of confidence within Morocco's parties

01/11/2007

Morocco's political parties have suffered a series of internal crises in the wake of record-low turnout in the country's September 7th legislative elections.

By Naoufel Cherkaoui for Magharebia in Rabat – 01/11/07

[File] Mohamed El Yazghi's leadership has been criticised by his party

In recent weeks, a number of politicians in Morocco have expressed disappointment in their parties' performance in the September 7th elections and have levelled accusations against party leaders, ranging from weakness to poor political management.

Morocco's Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) has been in a state of internal crisis since members accused party leader Mohamed El Yazghi of excluding the political bureau, the party's highest institution, from the consultation process to form the new government. Party members claim El Yazghi held private discussions with Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi and accuse him of acting unilaterally, describing his leadership as "Stalinist".

Mohamed Lahbabi of the party's National Council said at a September 27th meeting that "the current leadership does not believe in diversity of views". Lahbabi said El Yazghi "recognises neither the right to differ nor the freedom of expression, and he does not allow his party members to participate in any debate unless they receive prior permission from him."

Former USFP political bureau member Mohamed El Gahs said: "We have failed in the elections…and it is a failure of leadership and management."

On October 8th, nineteen USFP party members issued an appeal for the party's renewal and rebuilding. Citing "poor political and organisational management", they accused El Yazghi of "operating far from collective thinking" and called for change to the leadership's "confused orientation and inability to effectively manage the party's political line".

USFP newspaper al-Ittihad al-Ichtiraki quoted El Yazghi on October 25th as saying the appeal "is an encouraging indication that they are not in despair, rather the opposite; they think the party is capable of revival and renewing itself, and therein lies the importance of this appeal which says that it is not related to personal issues".

Tajj al-Din al-Huseini, professor of Public Law at Mohamed V University in Rabat, told Magharebia the post-election party turmoil is due to two factors: "The first is the struggle between the old guard and the new, and the second is the absence of democracy within these parties."

Other major parties have experienced splits following the elections. On October 24th, Independence Party members announced their intention to oppose the re-election of party leader and current Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi. They based their decision on the weakness they say he exhibited in forming the new government. They also raised his health as an issue, implying that he is incapable of holding down two positions at once.

The Justice and Development Party split into two factions following the elections. One group, led by Lahcen al-Daoudi, a member of the party's Secretariat-General, pushed for the party's participation in the government, while a second group led by Mustafa al-Ramid called for the party to continue working in the opposition.

Many of Morocco's political parties viewed the 37% turnout in the September elections as punishment for their lack of effectiveness in the past. The weak mandate debilitated some of the larger parties and negatively impacted talks on forming the new government.