Morocco’s PJD Party Faces Internal Rift as National Council Meets for Crucial Vote

According to the agenda, the 80 members of the National Council will address two issues during the next extraordinary session. These are "the request for the resignation of the President of the National Council, Driss Azami, and the vote on it," and "the taking of the necessary positions with regard to recent political developments." Contrary to previous years, the convocation to the meeting was signed by the Vice-President Abdelali Hamiddine, and not the President of the Council Driss Azami Idrissi.

President of the body and deputy-mayor of Fez, Driss Azami Idrissi, had addressed on February 25 to Saâdeddine El Othmani a letter of resignation from the presidency, as well as that of the general secretariat of the party. In this correspondence made public on February 26, the date of the resignation of the Minister of State in charge of Human Rights, Mustapha Ramid, he said "no longer tolerate, understand, nor explain or accept what is happening within the party." King Mohammed VI had, it should be recalled, refused the minister’s request on March 1. Azami Idrissi’s had been rejected by the PJD’s general secretariat the day before, which had moreover "expressed its attachment" to him so that he "continues to occupy his functions as president of the National Council and member of the General Secretariat." Also, the general secretariat of the party has decided to "form a committee among its members to visit him, discuss, and review this issue with him." It remains to be seen whether the national council would accept the decision of its president.

The next national council will also focus on "recent political developments." Allusion is made to the double announcement of the former head of government and leader of the Islamists, Abdelilah Benkirane. On his Facebook page, he announced the "freezing of his membership in the PJD," and the "rupture" of his relationship with his successor Saâdeddine El Othmani, as well as with the party ministers Mustapha Ramid, Mohamed Amekraz, Aziz Rebbah, and the former minister Lahcen Daoudi following the adoption in the Council of Government of draft law n°13.21 "on the legal use of cannabis, on March 11. Benkirane had meanwhile threatened to "leave the PJD permanently" if the MPs voted for the draft law.

On Thursday, El Othmani reacted to the decision. He called on all members "not to comment on the issue on social networks," and "not to make any statement" about Benkirane’s announcement, with the promise to examine this issue himself "in order to take appropriate initiatives and in an appropriate manner to help facilitate the discussion." Too late. That same day, the former minister Lahcen Daoudi, in an interview with the weekly Al Ayam, commented on the words of the former head of government. "Benkirane meant: here are the people with whom he would not want to build a future," he said.