Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) is undergoing a period of reorganization under the leadership of former head of government Abdelilah Benkirane. The effort follows a significant loss of parliamentary seats in the September 2021 general election, which moved the party from the head of the governing coalition into the opposition.
The PJD, which has an Islamic frame of reference, became the largest party in parliament following the November 2011 elections, securing 107 of 395 seats. The election took place after constitutional reforms that year expanded the formal powers of the parliament and government, while the monarchy retained significant authority. The party increased its seat count to 125 in the 2016 general election.
In the September 2021 election, the PJD’s representation in the House of Representatives fell from 125 seats to 13. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) became the largest party with 102 seats, subsequently forming a new governing coalition.
Following the 2021 results, Benkirane, who served as head of government from 2012 to 2017, returned to lead the PJD. According to party officials, the period since the election has been focused on internal review and restructuring.
Saad al-Sabahi, who works with the PJD’s regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat, told Al Jazeera that the party worked to overcome its “crisis” through internal congresses and a renewal of its structures under Benkirane’s leadership. The PJD’s official assessment of its 2021 performance included self-criticism of its political and organizational choices during its time in government. The party also attributed the result in part to what it described as electoral corruption and disinformation by unnamed actors.
As part of its rebuilding efforts, the PJD has outlined a political program with 467 proposed measures. The platform is structured around five areas: identity and family; political and institutional reform; public services and social protection; the economy and employment; and foreign policy. The proposals include measures for greater transparency in public procurement and rules to address conflicts of interest. Al-Sabahi said the program was developed through studies, consultation meetings, and online proposals.
The party has also emphasized its outreach to younger voters. Yassine Elachiri, a member of the National Bureau of PJD Youth, told Al Jazeera that building a relationship with a new generation “is a cumulative process built on sustained engagement, guidance, training and creating opportunities for young people to participate actively in public affairs.”
The PJD’s platform also reaffirms its opposition to the normalization of relations with Israel. Morocco restored diplomatic ties with Israel in December 2020 as part of a U.S.-brokered agreement that included American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara. The decision was made while the PJD was the leading party in government and Saadeddine Othmani was head of government. The PJD as a party opposed the move at the time, while Othmani defended it as a state decision. Under the Moroccan constitution, the king chairs the Council of Ministers, which determines the strategic orientations of state policy.
