Interior Ministry Defends Removal of PJD Members from Electoral Lists Amid Controversy

"Contrary to what has been disseminated, the local authorities are only a member of an administrative committee which also includes a representative of the elected councils, to whom the legislator has entrusted the task of supervising the process of reviewing and updating the electoral lists and taking all decisions related to this process," clarified the DGA, stressing that any voter who feels aggrieved in the process of removing certain members of political parties from the electoral lists can appeal to the courts as the main guarantor of the exercise of the rights of individuals and groups.

Reacting to the case of Abdelali Hamieddine, the DGA explained "the process of removal carried out against him by the administrative commission responsible for the examination of the electoral lists, was based on the provisions of law n°57.11 relating to the general electoral lists, referendum operations and the use of public audiovisual media during electoral and referendum campaigns, as amended and supplemented, considering that he has not resided for a long time in the territory of Rabat, which the interested party confirmed in the appeal note filed before the administrative court of Rabat.

The decision to remove Hamieddine "was based on a report signed by all the members of the administrative committee, including a representative of the Agdal - Hay Riyad district council, which is part of the Party of Justice and Development," it is further explained. The case of Abdelali Hamieddine is different from that of Abdessamad Al-Sakal. According to the explanations of the DGA, the administrative committee did not carry out any removal procedure against him. "This was rather done on the basis of a court decision following an appeal filed by a voter, in accordance with the provisions of the same law (57.11), since the administrative court of Rabat justified its decision by the fact that the person concerned actually resides outside the territorial jurisdiction of Rabat".