Morocco's elections pose test on vote observer

Morocco on Saturday commenced campaign for October’s legislative elections scheduled to draw attention from around the region and beyond.

Country’s election authorities have approved 4,000 national and international observers for the October elections and has rejected requests for about 1,000 others.

Among those rejected were observers from the U.S.-based Carter Center.

More than 30 political parties are running in the elections expected to determine the new make-up of the government and political direction of the north African kingdom.

However, the issue is whether the Islamists Party for Justice and modernity (PJD) will be able to keep the majority seats in the Parliament compared to the opposing Party,
authenticity and modernity, presented as “modernist”.

During the election campaign, the modernists are shoving the political traditions in Morocco by using a gender approach.

“We have taken an important decision, entrusts the Secretary General of the party. The two electoral lists will be 100% feminine and here I ask forgiveness from all the young men of the Party authenticity and modernity.” Ilyas El Omari, Secretary General of the PAM party.

The campaign for the legislative elections in Morocco is an open context of tensions within the government, between the Islamists and the modernists parties.

The Minister of Justice, Mustapha Ramid, had complained on the social media for not being consulted by his colleague in the organization of the election to be held on October.

Official campaigning for the elections began on September. 23, with the Islamist PJD and rival Party of Authenticity and Modernity among the top contenders.

A law bans political polling in the weeks ahead of the elections, in an effort to avoid swaying voters.