Morocco’s PJD unveils election platform as Benkirane acknowledges challenge of winning majority

Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) has unveiled its platform for the upcoming parliamentary elections, placing education, healthcare, employment and anti-corruption measures at the center of its campaign as it seeks to recover from its heavy electoral defeat in 2021.

The platform, presented under the slogan “To Achieve Citizen Dignity,” pledges to improve the quality of education, strengthen healthcare coverage, expand access to decent employment and address corruption and conflicts of interest.

The campaign marks a change in emphasis from the PJD’s 2021 electoral platform, which was presented under the slogan “Credibility, Democracy and Development.”

In its latest program, the party also offers a critical assessment of Morocco’s political and socioeconomic trajectory during its five years in opposition. It argues that declining purchasing power, unemployment and problems affecting education and healthcare have contributed to weakening public confidence in political institutions and the democratic process.

These assessments reflect the PJD’s political position and form part of its campaign platform.

The party says rebuilding public trust should be a central priority, presenting what it calls “citizen dignity” as a foundation for strengthening relations between Moroccans and state institutions.

The approach contrasts with the PJD’s campaign in the 2021 parliamentary elections, when it sought to defend its decade-long record in government and emphasized continued economic reforms, job creation, growth and expansion of social protection.

The 2021 election resulted in a major defeat for the PJD, ending its decade as the dominant party in Morocco’s elected governments and sending it into opposition.

Party leader Abdelilah Benkirane has acknowledged the difficulty of securing a parliamentary majority, as the PJD seeks to rebuild its electoral support ahead of the upcoming vote.