FFD party backs Interior Ministry oversight of 2026 Elections, calls for mandatory voting

 Morocco’s Democratic Forces Front (FFD) reaffirmed its support for the Interior Ministry to oversee the country’s 2026 parliamentary elections, rejecting proposals for an independent commission.

Party secretary-general Mustapha Benali told reporters Saturday in Rabat that the ministry’s experience makes it the only body capable of managing the polls on time.

“The King entrusted the Interior Minister with supervising the elections, then some propose creating an independent commission. Did these commissions succeed elsewhere?” he said during a press conference presenting the party’s proposals for electoral reform.

Benali argued that with more than 43,000 polling stations nationwide, even the Interior Ministry relies on teachers and other civil servants for staffing. “If the independent mechanism failed in Tunisia with its smaller population, how can it succeed in Morocco’s vast territory?” he said.

While acknowledging “negative legacies” in Morocco’s democratic process, Benali stressed that the ministry’s accumulated experience ensures credibility. “Every step moves us closer to elections without flaws,” he added.

The FFD also renewed calls for mandatory voting, a measure not included in its official reform memo but described by Benali as essential for strengthening democracy. “Voting is both a right and a national duty,” he said, pointing to examples in Belgium and Australia. The party also advocates lowering the voting age and extending voting rights to prison inmates.

As an interim measure, the FFD proposed making voter registration compulsory, linking enrollment in electoral rolls to procedures such as obtaining a national ID card, applying for university, or accessing public services.

“Without broad participation, elections lose their meaning,” Benali said. “Reinforcing trust in institutions and democracy requires mass participation.”