Moroccan Expats Seek Representation in Legislative Elections

The Ministry of the Interior requires political parties to position an MRE woman at the top of one of their regional lists for the legislative elections. Otherwise, campaign expenses will not be reimbursed. Thus, some parties have registered Moroccan women residing abroad (MREs) on their lists. This is the case of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) which presents a single representative of the diaspora. "I was appointed by the PJD official in Paris to be a candidate and I said to myself: ’why not?’", recounts to TelQuel Khadija Babile, a native of a small village in the Ouarzazate region, head of the list in her region of origin, Drâa-Tafilalet.

"I am very happy if I can help my party, it is a win-win situation, because I could represent the MREs in Parliament," assures this auditor for the Aplitec firm in Paris, whose commitment is to work for the establishment of the right to direct voting for MREs from their countries of residence. Like the PJD, the USFP has also appointed a single MRE. Her name is Aïcha El Gourji, its representative in Spain and a very controversial personality, invested as head of the list, in Rabat.

As for the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), it has appointed three candidates from the immigration community in the constituencies of Casablanca, Rabat and Guelmim. Among them, El Maalouma Haffoud, originally from Guelmim. She is the head of the list in this region. The objective of this Moroccan residing in the Canary Islands is "to encourage Moroccans around the world to invest in the development of the region", says Amine Najji, her campaign director.

The Federation of Democratic Left (FGD) has also presented three heads of list from the Moroccan community abroad. Lina Abbou is a candidate for the party in the Tanger constituency, Jamal Eddine Ryane, president of the movement of democratic MREs positioned in Chefchaouen then Montassir Sakhi, a long-time left-wing activist and active member of the February 20 Movement, head of the list in Salé.