HIBAPRESS – Rabat
The Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane, has called on the Minister of Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, to intervene regarding what he described as cases of refusal to hand over official records to the party's representatives during the voting and counting processes in four electoral constituencies.
Benkirane explained, in a live broadcast on the party's official page, that the central election campaign management committee informed him of complaints received concerning the denial of access to records for the party's male and female observers. He pointed out that the issue concerns the constituencies of Fahs-Anjra, Kelaat Sraghna, Sidi Kacem, and Taza.
The Secretary-General of the party stated that, according to the information he received, the PJD representatives remained in front of several polling and counting stations to demand copies of the records. He considered that the refusal to hand them over contradicts legal provisions and the directives that he said the Ministry of Interior had issued to those overseeing the electoral process.
Regarding the Sidi Kacem constituency, Benkirane reported that he attempted to contact the Minister of Interior by phone to discuss the matter, but he said he received no response to his calls.
He indicated that his party contested the electoral contest, in his words, within the framework of what he described as "good faith," recalling what he called a previous consultation with the Minister of Interior and ministry officials regarding the conduct of the electoral process, adding that these communications used to lead, in the past, to the resolution of the issues raised.
In relation to the Fahs-Anjra constituency, Benkirane said that the party's candidate received, according to his statement, verbal assurances from the governor of the region regarding the guarantee of the integrity of the electoral process, adding that what he described as "spoiling the hope of citizens" will not have, according to his statement, positive results.
Benkirane called on the Ministry of Interior to intervene to ensure respect for legal procedures in the four constituencies, emphasizing that the party will resort to legal channels to object to any results it deems illegitimate.
The Secretary-General of the Justice and Development Party also instructed the party's representatives at the concerned polling and counting stations to remain in their places until they receive the official records, stressing that obtaining them is a guaranteed right, according to his statement.
In the context of discussing the results, Benkirane said that the party that wins first place should, in his opinion, reach it on the basis of what he described as merit and legitimacy, warning that the continued refusal to hand over records, in his words, may raise questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
