HIBAPRESS – Rabat
The debate continues within the Socialist Union of Popular Forces party regarding the future of the party leadership and the management of the next phase, amidst rising voices from within the organization demanding a review of the party's management of the recent phase and accountability for the results of the last legislative elections, leading to calls for an extraordinary congress.
In contrast, consultations on participation in the upcoming government are emerging as one of the most prominent issues facing the party leadership, opening the door to questions about whether government participation might offer a way out of the internal crisis experienced by the Socialist Union, or if it could exacerbate organizational and political differences.
In this context, the regional secretariats of the party in Fez, Guelmim, and El Jadida issued statements calling for a review of several organizational and political aspects, and for a discussion about the responsibilities related to the results of the recent legislative elections. The secretariats of Salé and Boujad are also expected to issue similar positions, concurrently with internal movements within party organizations in Casablanca, Rabat, and Laayoune.
In parallel, several female Unionist officials, according to sources within the party, are preparing to file a complaint with the public prosecutor's office concerning the criteria for selecting regional lists for women. They consider the selection process to have been flawed, including what they describe as reliance on financial criteria, which they believe necessitates an investigation into the extent to which these practices are consistent with the provisions of the Political Parties Law and the party's basic statute.
These developments come at a time when no meeting of the party's National Council has been called to date, while other political parties have hastened to convene meetings of their structures following the announcement of election results. This situation raises internal questions about the legitimacy of managing the next phase and the current leadership's ability to manage future organizational and political challenges, especially in light of ongoing consultations related to government formation.
Critics within the party believe that focusing on government participation negotiations before resolving internal organizational issues may lead to postponing the discussion about the reasons for the election results, instead of opening a workshop for review and rearranging the Unionist house.
Conversely, others believe that the Socialist Union obtaining a position within the government could grant the party new political leverage and help its leadership overcome some internal pressures, especially if negotiations lead to a significant presence for the party in the government majority.
However, this scenario also presents an internal political dilemma. Some party officials, through articles and posts, consider that the involvement of Idris Lachkar in the government, if it materializes, could be interpreted as political support for the continuation of the current leadership, at a time when voices demanding a review of the party's management and the renewal of its institutions and elites are rising.
The criticisms directed at the First Secretary of the Socialist Union, according to those holding these views, focus on his continuation for a fourth term at the head of the party and what they consider to be the centralization of organizational and political decision-making, in contrast to increasing demands for an internal discussion about the electoral review, renewal of elites, and strengthening the independence of party institutions.
Another question also arises amidst this debate concerning the Authenticity and Modernity Party's position on the internal situation of the Socialist Union, especially if both parties participate together in the upcoming government. Critics within the Socialist Union question whether Lachkar's participation in the government will be understood as a political endorsement for the continuation of the current leadership, or if it will remain separate from the party's internal organizational debate.
Caught between the stakes of government participation and the pressures of internal restructuring, the Socialist Union finds itself facing a critical phase, whose most prominent headlines will be the future of the current leadership, the fate of demands for an extraordinary congress, how to evaluate election results, and the party's position within the expected government majority.
The question remains: Will participation in the government be a lifeline for Idris Lachkar, giving him an opportunity to overcome internal pressures, or will entering the government merely postpone a confrontation with an organizational and political crisis that is widening within the Socialist Union?
