Morocco updates campaign finance rules with new reporting and banking requirements

Morocco has introduced new rules for how political parties and candidates must report and manage election campaign finances, adding stricter banking, reporting and accounting requirements ahead of future elections.

The changes were published in the latest Official Gazette through three joint decisions signed by the ministers of Interior, Justice and Economy and Finance.

One of the biggest changes requires every candidate or head of an electoral list to open a dedicated bank account for campaign income and spending. Campaign accounts must be submitted to the Supreme Audit Institution within 90 days after official election results are announced.

Candidates will now have to attach proof of their candidacy along with a signed declaration confirming that the financial information provided in their campaign account is accurate.

The updated reporting templates require more detailed information about how campaigns are financed and how money is spent.

Political parties must declare their own funding, state contributions and any other sources of financing, while also explaining how public funding was used and providing a full breakdown of campaign expenses.

The new forms require parties to report financial support given directly to candidates, including the beneficiary’s identity, the amount received, the payment date, the payment method and the reference of the transaction.

To improve transparency, any financial support from political parties to candidates must now be made through traceable banking channels, either by bank or postal check or by bank transfer.

The revised expense categories cover many of the costs that have become central to modern election campaigns, including organizing campaign events, printing and distributing election materials, purchasing campaign supplies and producing or broadcasting campaign advertisements, interviews, appeals and other promotional content on private radio stations and digital platforms.

The government also updated the unified accounting framework used by political parties. Under the new rules, small expenses must be backed by documents signed by at least two party officials.

Political parties will have to disclose the financial results of companies they own by including detailed information on each company in the annex to their financial statements.

The accounting changes require parties to provide more detailed records of transactions carried out with their local branches, affiliated research and training institutions, and subsidiary companies.

The updated framework clarifies how public funding can be used. State support may now cover the costs of regular national party congresses as well as extraordinary congresses that result in the election of a new national party leader.

The rules also address the use of government funding intended to encourage greater representation of women in politics.