Campaigning has opened in Morocco for the September 23 legislative election, with the governing coalition seeking to retain power amid growing concerns over economic and regional inequalities.
The election, scheduled just days before the first anniversary of a youth-led protest movement, is expected to focus heavily on economic development, unemployment and social disparities.
Nearly 16 million registered voters are expected to elect 395 members of the House of Representatives.
The parties are seeking to capitalise on growing frustrations, particularly among young people, although political participation among the youth remains low.
Only about three per cent of registered voters are aged between 18 and 24.
Concerns over limited economic opportunities and youth unemployment were highlighted in July when tens of thousands of people, predominantly Moroccans, crossed into the neighbouring Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a mass migration surge.
Morocco’s Prime Minister, Aziz Akhannouch, is appointed by the King from the party that wins the highest number of seats.
The Prime Minister then forms a government for a five-year term, while the monarch retains control over major policy decisions.
Political parties have unveiled their campaign programmes on social media, but some Moroccan media outlets have questioned the feasibility of their promises.
News website Le360 criticised what it described as “dazzling financial promises”, saying some party programmes contained attractive social and economic pledges without clearly explaining how they would be financed.
Political scientist Abdellah Tourabi also wrote in the weekly magazine TelQuel that the campaign lacked substantive political debate.
Africanews
