PJD confirms opposition role after Morocco election comeback

10:05

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) has formally decided to remain in opposition during Morocco’s next parliamentary term, closing the door on participation in the forthcoming government.

The decision was approved unanimously by the party’s National Council during an extraordinary session held in Bouznika on Saturday, September 26. It followed an earlier recommendation from the party’s General Secretariat, which had argued that the PJD should continue its political and constitutional role from the opposition benches.

A decision taken before government talks

The PJD’s position had already emerged in the days following Morocco’s September 23 legislative elections. The National Council’s vote has now given that position formal institutional backing.

The party said its role would be to pursue what it describes as a “responsible and strong national opposition”, while continuing to exercise its constitutional and political functions from outside the government.

The timing is significant because the election has opened a new phase of negotiations over the formation of the next government. Morocco’s official electoral process lists government formation as the stage following the validation of the election results.

From 13 seats to 54

The PJD enters the new parliamentary term with a substantially larger representation than it had after the 2021 election.

The final results of the September 23 vote gave the party 54 seats in the House of Representatives, compared with 13 seats in 2021. The figure places the PJD fourth in the national results, behind the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) with 97 seats, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 and the Istiqlal Party with 65.

The enlarged parliamentary group gives the PJD a significantly greater presence in debates, parliamentary committees and oversight of government action.

For the party, the result has also become a central element of its reading of the election. Its National Council said the 54-seat outcome represented a substantial recovery in parliamentary representation and described the result as an incentive to continue political and organizational work.

Relations with the PAM remain a major factor

The PJD’s decision also comes in the context of its long-running political rivalry with the PAM.

The two parties have frequently occupied opposing positions in Morocco’s political landscape. Ahead of the National Council meeting, PJD figures had already indicated that the party was not preparing to join a government led by the PAM.

That position was subsequently formalized by the party’s highest decision-making bodies. The PJD National Council cited its internal statutes and constitutional provisions governing parliamentary opposition when approving the decision.

The party has also announced that it intends to use available legal mechanisms concerning what it considers electoral irregularities. Its National Council expressed dissatisfaction with aspects of the voting, counting and results-announcement process and said the party would pursue available legal avenues where appropriate. These are positions advanced by the PJD and do not by themselves establish that electoral violations occurred.

A larger opposition presence in parliament

The PJD will enter the new legislature alongside other parties and groups outside the future governing majority.

The Left Alliance also won eight seats in the September election and has indicated that it will sit in opposition. The final parliamentary balance will depend on the composition of the government and the parties that join the governing coalition.

The PJD’s 54 deputies nevertheless represent a considerably larger opposition bloc than the party had at the beginning of the previous legislature.

This could give the party more opportunities to question ministers, scrutinize government policies, participate in legislative committees and introduce parliamentary initiatives. The practical influence of those tools will depend on parliamentary procedures and the balance between the governing majority and opposition groups.

Benkirane faces a new parliamentary phase

The decision also places Abdelilah Benkirane and the PJD at the beginning of a new political phase.

The party’s return to 54 seats marks a substantial change from its parliamentary position after the 2021 elections. Benkirane and the party leadership now have to translate that electoral recovery into sustained parliamentary activity.

The PJD has said it intends to focus its opposition role on constitutional and political responsibilities and on issues affecting citizens. Its National Council also called for greater work on restoring confidence in political and party activity following the relatively low national turnout recorded in the September election.

The official results put turnout at 38.08% nationwide, with nearly six million voters participating.

The next test begins inside parliament

With its position now formally settled, the PJD will not be part of the government being assembled after the 2026 legislative elections.

Its challenge will shift from electoral mobilization to parliamentary performance. The party will have to define its priorities, organize its enlarged parliamentary group and establish how it intends to scrutinize the policies of the next executive.

For Morocco’s new legislature, the decision creates a clearly defined opposition role for one of the country’s established political parties. The coming parliamentary term will show how the PJD uses the additional representation secured in the September election and how that presence shapes debate inside the House of Representatives.