Less than half of the outgoing government will face voters in the September 23 legislative elections, with 15 of its 31 members entering the race and 16 staying off the ballot.
The split cuts across the three parties that formed the outgoing majority. PAM has the largest ministerial contingent in the election with six candidates, followed by the RNI and Istiqlal with four each.
The 15 comprise eight of the government’s 19 ministers, three of its five deputy ministers, and four of its six secretaries of state.
Beyond the numbers, the candidate list points to markedly different electoral strategies among the three parties as they move from governing together to competing for the next parliamentary majority.
PAM puts six government figures in the race
PAM is taking the largest share of its government team into the election, with Fouzi Lekjaa among the most closely watched additions to its ticket.
The minister delegate in charge of the Budget, who joined PAM this summer after years without a declared party affiliation, is expected to contest Berkane. His entry puts Lekjaa before voters for the first time under a party banner.
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, minister of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy and coordinator of PAM’s collective leadership, is running in Sidi Youssef Ben Ali in Marrakech.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi will contest Taroudant Nord, while Higher Education Minister Azzedine El Midaoui is standing in Rhamna.
Youth, Culture and Communication Minister Mehdi Bensaid returns to the contest in Rabat-Océan, while Housing Secretary of State Adib Benbrahim is running in Rabat-Chellah.
Employment Secretary of State Hicham Sabiry is also listed as a PAM candidate in Beni Mellal.
The party is nevertheless leaving several of its government figures off the ballot. Employment Minister Younes Sekkouri, Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali and Digital Transition Minister Delegate Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni are not contesting the election.
RNI goes into election without Akhannouch
The RNI will field four members of the outgoing government, but its most consequential absence is Aziz Akhannouch himself.
The outgoing head of government had already announced on January 11 that he would not seek another term as RNI president. Mohamed Chouki succeeded him at the party’s extraordinary congress in February.
Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari will contest Ouazzane, while Investment Minister Delegate Karim Zidane is running in Youssoufia.
Government spokesperson and Minister Delegate for Relations with Parliament Mustapha Baïtas will seek another mandate in Sidi Ifni, while Lahcen Saadi, secretary of state for Handicrafts and the Social and Solidarity Economy, is running in Taroudant Nord.
That leaves only four of the RNI’s 10 members of the outgoing government in the electoral contest.
Among those staying out are Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah, Tourism Minister Fatim-Zahra Ammor, Education Minister Mohamed Saad Berrada, Health Minister Amine Tahraoui and Fisheries Secretary of State Zakia Driouich.
Baraka leads Istiqlal’s four-member government contingent
Istiqlal is taking four members of its government team into the September vote.
Party secretary-general and Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka will seek re-election in Larache.
Industry and Trade Minister Ryad Mezzour is contesting Benslimane, while Transport and Logistics Minister Abdessamad Kayouh will run in Taroudant Nord.
Omar Hejira, secretary of state for Foreign Trade, is standing in Oujda, where he has a long electoral record and previously served as mayor.
Two other Istiqlal members of the outgoing government are sitting out the election: Solidarity Minister Naima Ben Yahia and Social Integration Secretary of State Abdeljebbar Rachidi.
Taroudant Nord will be one of the constituencies to watch, with Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi of PAM, Transport Minister Abdessamad Kayouh of Istiqlal and RNI Secretary of State Lahcen Saadi all listed to contest the seat.
Sovereign portfolios stay outside the contest
The government members holding sovereign portfolios will remain outside the electoral race.
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, whose department oversees the administration of the elections, is not standing.
Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Habous and Islamic Affairs Minister Ahmed Toufiq are also staying off the ballot, as are Secretary-General of the Government Mohamed El Hajjoui and Minister Delegate for National Defense Administration Abdellatif Loudiyi.
