Moroccan Party of Independence requests disbanding of parliament

The Moroccan opposition Party of Independence requested for the recently elected parliament to be disbanded and for a new election to be held.

In its emergency conference, the Independence Party described government stances as coming short of its commitments which had been agreed upon in the Charter of Honor signed by the parties and the Moroccan authorities. The party also stated that it will continue consultations with its allies within the opposition coalition to assess the situation.

This emergency conference came to ease controversies that had risen within the party over the reasons for the party's bad showing in the recent election. The party won only 33 seats. It also came to answer press reports of an increase of differences within the party as a result of the statement from the party's assistant secretary general, Mohamed Al Dewery, in which he criticized two prominent party leaders.

Political circles expect that the Independence Party's stance will affect the stances of its allies in the opposition, especially the Socialist Union Party which won the most opposition seats during the recent election. The tone of the Socialist Union Party was less enthusiastic than that of the Independence Party in rejecting the election results.

It is expected that the Constitutional Council will declare its decision regarding the pleas against the election results soon.