Morocco’s parliamentary election campaign is under way, with 27 political parties competing for 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
More than 15.8 million voters are registered for the September 23 election, which will determine the composition of Parliament and influence the formation of the next government.
The vote comes amid questions about political engagement, particularly among younger Moroccans.
An Afrobarometer survey published in March found that 37 percent of Moroccans aged 18 to 35 expressed some or a lot of trust in Parliament. Trust stood at 33 percent for the head of government and political parties.
The survey also found that younger Moroccans were less likely to participate through traditional political channels, but more likely to post political content online and participate in demonstrations.
Economic concerns are also prominent during the campaign. Youth unemployment remains a major challenge, while parties have highlighted employment, purchasing power and public services in their programmes.
The governing coalition formed after the 2021 election comprises the National Rally of Independents, the Authenticity and Modernity Party and Istiqlal. The three parties are campaigning on different proposals covering jobs, wages, healthcare, housing and other public services.
The Justice and Development Party, which suffered major losses in 2021, is also seeking to rebuild its support.
Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in House of Representatives elections.
The election will take place on September 23, with campaigning ending on September 22.
