Al Istiqlal, the second largest party of the government coalition lead by the PJD party, has announced its decision to withdraw from the government, arguing that the PJD has refused to listen to Al Istiqlal’s proposal regarding a number of social and economic issues. To solve its differences with the PJD-led government, Al Istiqlal sought article 42 of the constitution, according to which, the king would serve as a supreme arbiter between the parties.
Mr. Chabat, head of Al Istiqlal, who has become the “New” opposition within the coalition, made many public statements, accusing the PJD government for being unpatriotic, and opportunistic. This new attitude of Al Istiqlal towards the PJD suggests the beginning of a new race between the two parties for the next election. Nevertheless, the proximity of Mr. Chabat to the king’s entourage may have played a role in this incident. The new conflict between Al Istiqlal and the PJD is a nightmare for the Islamic party for two reasons. First, the PJD’s alternative to replace Al Istiqlal is almost inexistent; the two major parties, The PAM, and the RNI (Al-Ahrar), are not interested in joining. Second, a new election is not an option because the palace will not want to risk the country’s political stability. Let’s not forget that the previous election and the new constitution were initiated in the first place to stop the Arab Spring in Morocco. PJD’s Performance and Separation of Powers
The PJD came to power as a result of street protests against corruption and social injustice. During its campaign, the Justice and Development party promised to fight corruption, reduce unemployment, and increase economic growth to 7%. Mr. Benkiran, who advocated for the new constitution, claimed to have the necessary powers to run the government without the interference of the Palace.
This was more of a delusion, as the constitution clearly limits the power of the head of government. In fact, all critical affairs are handled by the King’s advisers: a pseudo government that continues to manage Morocco’s foreign affairs and other sensitive domestic issues. The king continues to inaugurate projects as if the government were not taking care of business, and taking the credit for all significant accomplishments; including the Ramid Health Care Plan, the investment of the Gulf countries, and the solar energy project in South Morocco.
The PGD-led government was not stripped of all powers. The proof of that is in Mr. Benkiran’s unpopular decisions to raise oil price, cut the government subsidies, and freeze 15 billion Dirhams in investment credit. The PJD’s promise to reduce unemployment and raise economic growth did not materialize; in fact, since the PJD took office, Morocco has seen less economic growth, a higher unemployment rate, and a broken educational system. Obviously, the PJD does not bear the entire burden; however, the Islamists were not qualified to take Morocco to the next step. Today, Morocco is heading toward a major financial crisis. The Moroccan government was forced to borrow money on more than one occasion. Morocco could not even afford $100 million to improve the educational system. Banks are not doing well either, as the BMCE has announced its intention to borrow $500 million to increase its liquidity. In this difficult financial situation, the budget for the Monarchy has exceeded that of Spain, France and Britain.
Despite its weak economic performance and a weakening public support, the PJD continues its confrontation with the Judges, the Moroccan Workers’ Union (UGTM), the CGEM (Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc), and the July 20th unemployed college graduates who were recently granted the right for direct recruitment by the administrative court.
The PJD is an interesting case study of an Islamic-leaning party who embraces the monarchy as a plan to remodel the Moroccan society. The PJD’s true intention was to reshape our ethical and moral values, but they were not prepared enough to tackle the poverty and education. The PJD’s unconditional support for a constitution that did not guarantee basic democratic values was a miscalculation, one that will cost the Moroccan people years of work to see the light.
