Morocco's PJD confident despite detractors

2007-08-31

Opinion polls indicate the Justice and Development Party is likely to win big in the September 7th legislative elections. Although some elites have expressed concerns about the party, many voters are enamoured with its strong programme and organisational prowess.

Reportage by Naoufel Daqaqi in Rabat and Mawassi Lahcen in Casablanca – 30/08/2007

[Getty Images] Supporters of the opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) attend a campaign meeting on August 26th in Casablanca.

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) is poised for success in Morocco's September 7th elections. Polls and talk on the street indicate the party is likely to expand its representation in parliament from 42 of 325 seats to 70 or more. The PJD's moral platform, governmental experience and skills at creating political alliances all contribute to its popularity. Some voices, however, warn that the party may be more than it appears.

Formed from a fusion of political and religious organisations, the PJD came into being in 1998, under the direction of Abdelkrim Khatib. The party established itself and gained broad popularity among the poor through social work in many of the country's marginalised communities, areas many say the government neglected until the Casablanca bombings of 2003.

Although a number of intellectuals, left-leaning parties and government authorities indirectly accused the PJD of involvement in the bombings, the party came through the crisis largely unscathed, due in part to new leadership under Saâd Eddine El Othmani, PJD Secretary-General since 2004. Khatib and El Othmani's close ties with the Palace helped, but the party ultimately pulled through by reorganising its ranks, making astute alliances and improving its image in the middle and upper classes.

Nonetheless, the party suffered direct and indirect pressures from the authorities, resulting in a decision to reduce the number of candidates in local elections four months after the Casablanca bombings. On two separate occasions, the Interior Ministry has pressured the party to change its leader in the House of Representatives, Mustafa Al-Rameed, who has expressed views deemed radical by the Interior Ministry and, in some cases, even El Othmani.

The party's platform has evolved over time, but has always centred on a strongly principled core. Delivering the party's platform entitled "Together for a Just Morocco" on Sunday evening (August 27th) in Casablanca, El Othmani said the party's general goal is to promote integrity, transparency and credibility in public life. The party also seeks to "strengthen democracy; boost the national values system; enhance the independence of an Islamic, civilized identity; support national sovereignty; and strengthen external radiance", El Othmani said.

The party aims to achieve these goals by cracking down on corruption, reducing red tape and maintaining credibility among the electorate by promoting the role of the family and by halting what it calls 'immoral phenomena' such as sex tourism, the sale of alcohol and certain behaviours expressed through the arts and at cultural and tourist festivals.

Saâd Eddine El Othmani, Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) campaigning in the Lyssassafa neighbourhood of Casablanca on August 25th.

The party's electoral platform calls for Islamic Sharia to be adopted as the source of Moroccan law. Speaking on the issue, El Othmani said, "We didn't say Moroccan law does not conform to Islamic Sharia. This is not true. Morocco is an Islamic country that is led by the Commander of the Faithful, and its laws are derived from Islamic Sharia. Rather, the thing we requested was to have a stipulation in the Constitution to the effect that Islamic Sharia is the source of legislation in Morocco. Such a request has previously been made by the democratic bloc that comprises the Socialist Union Party in its memorandum on the constitutional reforms that it had filed to late King Hassan II in 1995. We didn’t come up with a new thing here."

In concrete terms, the PJD's announced platform seeks to reduce Morocco's rank on international corruption indicators from 79th place to 40th; to draw attention to Berber culture; and to enhance the quality of the educational and economic sectors.

The party's economic agenda is to increase the rate of economic development, cut the budget deficit and lower taxes. It also aims to cut the poverty rate in half by reducing unemployment in cities to 12%; increasing the minimum wage from approximately USD 150 to about USD 250, creating 300,000 jobs per year; and establishing an "alms tax house", Islamic banks and "reciprocal taxes" to ensure a strong economy and fair distribution of wealth.

Although the PJD's platform appeals to many, it leaves others worried. The party's opponents point out that the PJD rejects any form of normalisation of relations with Israel. It reportedly supports Hamas and the resistance movements in Palestine and Iraq, and believes Iran to be an upcoming regional power. The party generally opposes US foreign policy, and although several of its members have paid visits to the US and Europe, the party claims those trips were made to think-tanks and politicians who oppose the war in Iraq.

Many political, economic and intellectual elites do not hide their apprehensions about the PJD, which they describe as 'un-democratic'. Politicians including Mohamed El Yazghi, Secretary-General of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces and Ismail Alaoui, Secretary-General of the Party of Progress and Socialism fear, that the party would tighten the grip on individual freedoms, economic initiatives, freedom of expression and tourism. Both men say the PJD calls for democracy, but will not practice it when in office. El Yazghi has described the party's rhetoric as 'radical' and conforming to the extremist ideas behind the Casablanca bombings. Ahmed Harzani, head of the Advisory Council for Human Rights said the PJD confuses religious call with politics. "The party must present policies and programmes to the citizens, and not an ideology accompanied by an Islamic halo," he said.

The PJD's supporters counter by saying the party was able to prove itself in a short period of time and gain the experience it needs to run the nation's affairs well. Supporters add that the party believes in democracy and that it actually practices it. They argue that the PJD's performance will be better than that of the socialists, who they say made promises but never delivered on them while in office.

One supporter, Noureddine Ayouch, president of the "DABA 2007" association, a non-governmental organisation which urges citizens to participate in the upcoming elections, believes the party works effectively and knows how to benefit from "highly structured campaigns of communication". Ayouch urged people not to fear the Islamists, saying their popularity and organisational abilities can be counted on to overcome the desperation and lack of trust youth feel towards the political system. The Moroccan Society for Combating Bribery also believes that the PJD's strong popular base and clear goals render it an exception among Moroccan political parties.

For the September 7th elections, the party nominated candidates in all 95 electoral constituencies. Women represent 13.2% of all candidates and the average age of the party's candidates is 44 years. Most of the Party's MPs did not re-nominate themselves in the same electoral constituencies they had won in the previous elections.

Although the party is optimistic about becoming part of the legislative majority, El Othmani confirmed the PJD is ready to return to the opposition ranks if need be. "Our opposition, just like our team in Parliament, was strong and will be strong and able to have greater influence in imposing amendments in draft laws submitted by the government," he said. El Othmani said that an opposition party's ability to make major achievements, such as filing an appeal against the state's budget, requires the signatures of 25% of parliamentarians, and that he is confident the PJD will be able to secure that much representation in the next Parliament.