Marouane Chbaatou, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) political bureau and outgoing MP for Midelt, has left the party to join the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), adding to a growing pre-election tussle between the two governing allies.
Chbaatou announced his decision publicly, saying several years with the RNI had come to an end and that he would “continue my political career within the PAM.”
The 42-year-old MP attributed his departure largely to what he described as the RNI leadership’s insufficient attention to Midelt province and to local elected officials attempting to raise its concerns.
“The decision was not easy,” Chbaatou said, insisting his departure was “neither a personal disagreement nor a moment of anger.”
Instead, he described a gradual accumulation of grievances.
“Things are not always measured by a single event. There are accumulated grievances and situations that may seem insignificant on the surface but, when repeated, leave lasting marks, particularly when they affect an elected official’s ability to defend the province he represents and fulfill his commitments to citizens,” he said.
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Midelt at the heart of Chbaatou’s grievances
Chbaatou pointed in particular to the handicrafts sector, criticizing what he described as the lack of response from the secretary of state in charge of handicrafts to concerns raised in Midelt.
He said he had “felt on several occasions that Midelt province was not receiving the attention it deserved within the party” and that efforts by local elected officials and activists did not always receive an adequate response from the RNI’s central leadership.
A recent RNI gathering in Midelt appears to have crystallized that frustration.
Chbaatou criticized the absence of party ministers from the event, contrasting it with what he described as the stronger presence of ministers and senior party figures at an event in another province.
“A large number of ministers and party leaders had gone to another province and spent more time there,” he said.
For Chbaatou, the episode reinforced a perception that Midelt was being given less political attention, particularly after he had sought to champion the concerns of local artisans during his parliamentary term.
“I am beginning this new chapter without denying the past and without hostility, but with a sincere desire to restore the true meaning of political action — being close to the people of my province, present when they face problems, and able to raise their demands and defend their interests,” he said.
A political family with deep RNI ties
The departure is particularly notable given Chbaatou’s position within the RNI and his family’s longstanding ties to the party.
A graduate of ESCP Business School in Paris, Chbaatou served on the RNI political bureau in addition to representing Midelt in Parliament.
He is also the son of Saïd Chbaatou, a former fisheries minister who serves as the RNI coordinator for the Midelt-Ouarzazate region.
His move therefore goes beyond the loss of an ordinary party member and comes as the RNI and PAM compete for established candidates and local political networks ahead of the legislative elections.
RNI-PAM candidate battle intensifies
Chbaatou’s announcement comes just after the RNI publicly accused PAM of targeting its MPs, elected officials and local leaders through what it called “wooing attempts and pressure.”
In an August 25 statement, the RNI argued that the number of such cases had moved the issue beyond ordinary changes of political allegiance and accused its coalition partner of attempting to destabilize its ranks ahead of the election.
The party named several figures it said PAM was seeking to field despite their existing or previously announced links with the RNI.
Chbaatou’s departure now gives that dispute another prominent example, although the outgoing MP has presented his decision as one driven by dissatisfaction with his own party rather than pressure from PAM.
