Familiar debate in Morocco

Parliamentary elections in Morocco on Friday, September 7 are likely to result in an Islamist party emerging as the winner. 

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) should secure the largest number of seats despite not standing in all constituencies.  Such an outcome would carry strong echoes of the recent triumphs of its equivalent party in Turkey, which bears the same name (rendered in Turkish as AKP).  The prospect of the PJD becoming the largest party has sparked debate in Morocco, within the walls of the royal palace and beyond.  Some think the PJD is an Islamist stalking horse while others see it as a bulwark against the more radical form of Moroccan Islamism espoused by Adl wa Ihsan.

A similar debate is raging over whether the PJD should be included in the next government: if it fails to deliver on promises of relieving poverty and unemployment, radical Islamists will be strengthened; but if it is excluded despite outperforming more than 30 other parties, Morocco's democratic credentials will be damaged.

Two constants remain: Moroccan voters, like all voters, will vote with their pockets; and the election will not change the fundamental balance of power, with King Mohammed VI wielding ultimate authority -- including choosing the next prime minister.