HIBAPRESS – Al Hoceima
As the polling date scheduled for September 23 approaches, Dr. Mohamed Laaraj, a leader in the Popular Movement Party, former minister, and researcher in administrative law, continues his field activities within the electoral campaign for the 2026 legislative elections. His tours have included a number of rural communes and areas belonging to the Ketama and Targist constituencies.
These movements come in the context of the final days of the electoral campaign, where meetings and direct communication with the residents have intensified. Laaraj's presence has been notable in several stations that witnessed interaction with his campaign and supporters.
Mohamed Laaraj's presence in these areas is not solely linked to the current electoral campaign; he has accumulated a political, parliamentary, and academic career that has made him a fixture in the local scene for years. Amidst national responsibilities and his academic career, his name has remained associated with the mountainous region and several issues concerning the residents of the area.
This continuous presence is seen as one of the factors explaining his current communication style with the residents, especially in rural communes with significant populations. Laaraj is returning to areas he knows well and has worked on related files in, not to a new electoral space for him.
His electoral discourse highlights a focus on institutional work and advocacy, presenting local issues within the framework of the competencies and capabilities available to elected institutions. He also draws on his parliamentary and governmental experience, as well as his academic background in law and administration, in his communication.
Among the files related to political discussions about the Rif and Ketama regions is the issue of cannabis, which has seen a transition in recent years to a legal framework regulating the legitimate uses of this plant. In 2021, Parliament ratified Law No. 13.21, which established a legal framework for the cultivation, production, processing, marketing, and export of cannabis for legitimate purposes, and created the National Agency for the Regulation of Activities Related to Cannabis.
In this context, the Popular Movement bloc in the House of Councillors participated in the discussion of the draft law by presenting amendments to the text before its approval by a majority.
Alongside his political career, Laaraj possesses an academic path in public law. Published sources indicate he holds a State Doctorate in Law from Mohammed V University in Rabat, works as a professor of higher education in Moroccan universities, and is involved in research and studies in administrative law and public litigation.
He previously held the portfolio of Minister of Culture and Communication in the government of Saad Eddine El Othmani, following a parliamentary and party career within the Popular Movement Party.
With the electoral campaign entering its final stages, Mohamed Laaraj is trying to leverage this political, academic, and field experience in communicating with voters, by returning to several communes and villages that have been part of his political journey over the years.
Thus, the final days of the campaign have become a platform for the Popular Movement leader to re-emphasize his experience in institutional work, connecting it with local issues and the expectations of the mountainous region's residents, awaiting the outcome of the ballot boxes on September 23.
