Morocco’s governing coalition partners are trading sharp accusations and competing for candidates ahead of the September 23 parliamentary elections. A leaked audio recording has exposed internal divisions over potential cabinet posts, bringing tensions between the National Rally of Independents and the Authenticity and Modernity Party into the open before the September 10 campaign launch.
Candidate Nominations Flood In as Election Battle Lines Harden
Political maneuvering in Morocco has reached a fever pitch with candidate nominations opening on August 31 for the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for September 23. By the afternoon of the very first day, the Interior Ministry received 702 candidate lists submitted across 27 political parties.
The electoral stakes are governed by Morocco’s multi-party constitutional framework. About 15.8 million voters are registered for the election, according to the Interior Ministry, out of a country of 36.8 million people, according to the 2024 census. The voting-age population is estimated at roughly 25 million, according to the High Commission for Planning (HCP). Under the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in elections to the House of Representatives, though winning the most seats falls short of an outright majority.
Leaked Audio Exposes Coalition Friction Between RNI and PAM
The current governing coalition brings together three major political forces: the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), and the Istiqlal Party. They are partners in government, but they are also rivals competing for votes, candidates and influence.
Those underlying tensions burst into public view following a leaked audio recording attributed to House of Representatives Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami, a senior RNI figure. The recording circulated after the RNI accused PAM of attracting its elected officials and candidates.
In the recording, the voice attributed to Talbi Alami appears to criticise Lekjaa without naming him directly and warns against allowing him to obtain the economy and finance portfolio in a future government. Lekjaa, a prominent figure who also has headed the Royal Moroccan Football Federation since 2014 and is widely known for his role in Moroccan football, including the national team’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semifinals and its quarterfinal appearance this year, rejected the premature jostling for power. Lekjaa also responded, rejecting the idea of dividing government posts before the election, saying that dividing up the spoils without having hunted them
was not his concern.
Fouzi Lekjaa, Minister Delegate for the Budget
Morocco’s budget minister, Fouzi Lekjaa, is among prominent politicians whose future could be shaped by the election next month.
Party Leadership Responds to Pre-Election Posturing
The audio controversy prompted immediate public responses from RNI President Mohamed Chouki and Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch. He defended internal party discussions as part of political debate and said the focus should be on winning the election rather than distributing government posts in advance.
The public infighting raises difficult questions for the electorate: how much of the next government is being negotiated before they have even cast their ballots?
Parliamentary Standings and Core Campaign Issues
In the 2021 parliamentary election, the RNI emerged as the largest party with 102 seats, while PAM won 87 seats and Istiqlal 81, enabling them to form the governing coalition after that election. Meanwhile, the opposition Justice and Development Party governed Morocco for two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2021, and in the previous election, its parliamentary representation fell from 125 to 13 seats.
Opposition parties will seek to turn dissatisfaction with the government’s record into votes. The expected key campaign issues include the cost of living, employment, healthcare and education. While governing parties can point to economic reforms, investment and the expansion of social protection as evidence of progress, their opponents will argue that those measures have not done enough to ease pressure on households. The government’s 2021–2026 program envisaged the creation of at least 1 million net jobs, and the net increase by the end of 2025 was about 95,000, while the government reported 850,000 jobs created outside agriculture in 2021–2025, setting the stage for a contentious legislative showdown.
