Nabil Benabdallah, secretary-general of the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), said Friday in Rabat that it was too early for his party to take a position on possible alliances for the next government coalition.
“We must leave this task to our institutions, such as the Political Bureau, which meets on Monday, and the Central Committee, to decide what steps to take,” the PPS leader said at a press conference in Rabat attended by party officials.
Asked for his personal view on the possibility of a woman being appointed head of government, Benabdallah said, “The party is waiting to have a clearer picture before taking a position, but if you ask me personally, you know my view. I am a staunch advocate for women’s rights. So let us wait.”
Asked about the low score obtained by his party, the PPS leader first pointed to the low turnout. “People did not vote because they were angry with the outgoing government’s record on purchasing power, rising prices and the farkchiyas. Abstention did not work in our favor,” he said.
He also criticized the preparations for the election, saying they had failed to address problems with the electoral register, from which two million registered voters had been removed without being replaced.
According to Benabdallah, the actual number of voters should have stood at 28 million, but only six million people fulfilled their voting duty. He therefore argued that the victorious parties could only claim the support of those six million voters, and no more, which puts their satisfaction with the results into perspective.
Benabdallah also condemned the use of vote-buying by candidates from wealthy parties. “We presented an honest and realistic electoral program that responds to citizens’ aspirations and, despite this score, we will continue to fight for the demands of social groups, namely freedom, dignity, equal opportunities, women’s rights, youth and a two-speed Morocco,” he concluded.
