French Deputy Withdraws from Election After Assault Conviction

"I have decided to withdraw from the race so that this seat can remain in the hands of the presidential majority," said the deputy for French citizens living abroad during a press conference on Saturday. This decision follows a ruling by the Paris judicial court. The outgoing deputy was sentenced to three years in prison, including one year in prison, and two years of ineligibility for the helmet attack on former Socialist official Boris Faure in 2017.

During this press conference, M’jid El Guerrab expressed his support for Minister Élisabeth Moreno, who has been endorsed by the majority in the 9th constituency of French citizens living abroad (Maghreb and West Africa). "I am withdrawing for another essential reason, that of preventing my candidacy, if it were to take place under the label of independents, from weakening that of Élisabeth Moreno who has just been endorsed by the presidential majority," he said. She is a minister of "quality who was born in Cape Verde and lived in Morocco. I will be by her side so that the presidential majority retains this seat," added the elected official.