PJD Accused of Exploiting Pandemic for Political Gain Ahead of Morocco Elections

The solidarity actions currently being carried out by the PJD on the ground are viewed negatively by some analysts and political parties. The Islamist party is accused of exclusively distributing donations in kind and in cash to its supporters. "The Party of Justice and Development is trying, through these practices, to exploit the pandemic for electoral purposes," said political science professor Rashid Lazrag.

Political parties have also accused the Unity and Reform Movement (MUR), the ideological wing of the PJD, of exploiting a process of national solidarity for political purposes. Moreover, The Arab Weekly reports that members of this branch of the party, accused of having made this type of distribution, had been arrested in the North and Southeast of Morocco.

For its part, the PJD refutes all these accusations. The party issued a press release to describe the criticism against its members as nothing more than a targeted campaign. This line of defense does not seem to convince Rashid Lazrag. For him, it is the same argument that the PJD is used to putting forward each time it finds itself in an uncomfortable position.