Secretary General of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilah Benkirane used the opening of the party’s 9th National Congress to publicly address the issue of government funding allocated to political parties, noting that the PJD had not received its expected support from the Ministry of the Interior.
Speaking Saturday in Bouznika before 1,700 delegates, Benkirane stated, “The Ministry of the Interior decided to withhold public funding from the party, but our members did not stand idly by.”
He added that despite the lack of state funding, the PJD succeeded in raising 1 million dirhams in just two days after calling on party members and supporters to contribute toward organizing the congress.
“The Interior Ministry froze the funds, but what I saw from you, members of the PJD, was inspiring,” he said. “You responded quickly and generously, and within two days we raised a million dirhams—and support is still coming in.”
Turning to the attendees, he added: “For the first time, you will not be eating from the Ministry’s plate, but from the PJD’s own contributions.”
The former prime minister had previously called on party members and sympathizers to help cover the estimated 3.5 million dirhams needed to organize the congress.
In a video message released late Wednesday, Benkirane criticized the Interior Ministry for failing to release the 1.3 million dirhams allocated to the party for the event, citing bureaucratic delays.
He added that while the matter is being followed through appropriate administrative channels, “it is only fair that political parties benefit from the state’s commitments, especially regarding public funding.”
Benkirane’s remarks come amid ongoing tensions between the PJD and the Moroccan state apparatus, particularly following the party’s electoral setbacks and shifting political landscape.
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