Justice and Development Party (Morocco)

Justice and Development Party
حزب العدالة والتنمية
Akabar en Tnezzarfut ed Tneflit (KNN)
Parti de la justice et du développement (PJD)
General Secretary Abdelillah Benkirane
Founder Abdelkrim al-Khatib
Founded 1967 (1967)
Split from Popular Movement
Headquarters 4, rue El Yefrani Cité les Orangers, Rabat
Newspaper Almisbah
Ideology Islamism[1][2][3][4]
Moroccan nationalism[3]
Islamic democracy
Religion Sunni Islam
International affiliation None
Muslim Brotherhood (formerly)
Colours      Blue      Orange
House of Representatives
125 / 395
Website
www.pjd.ma

The Justice and Development Party, JDP (Arabic: حزب العدالة والتنمية; Berber: Akabar en Tnezzarfut ed Tneflit, KNN; French: Parti de la justice et du développement, PJD) is the party that lead the executive branch of the government of Morocco since 29 November 2011. The JDP (or PJD) advocates Islamism and Islamic democracy.

History

PJD was founded by Abdelkrim al-Khatib, one of the founders of the Popular Movement party, from which he was expelled in the mid-1960s, under the name of MPDC (French: Mouvement populaire démocratique et constitutionnel, the "Popular Democratic and Constitutional Movement").[5] The party was an empty shell for many years, until various members of a clandestine association Chabiba islamia, who later formed the MUR (French: Mouvement unité et réforme, the "Unity and Reform Movement") joined the party, with the authorisation and encouragement of former interior minister Driss Basri. It later changed its name to current PJD in 1998.

The party won eight seats in the parliamentary election in 1997.[6] In the parliamentary election, held on 27 September 2002, the party won 42 out of 325 seats,[6] winning most of the districts where it fielded candidates. Its secretary-general since 2004 was Saadeddine Othmani, MP representing Mohammedia. In the parliamentary election held on 7 September 2007, the PJD won 43 out of 325 seats,[7] behind the Istiqlal Party, which won 52. This was contrary to expectations that the PJD would win the most seats.[8] However, the party had limited number of candidates in the election.[7]

Abdelilah Benkirane was elected leader of the PJD in July 2008, taking over from Saadeddine Othmani.[9] Having won a plurality of seats (107 seats) in the November 2011 parliamentary election,[10][11] the party formed a coalition with three parties that had been part of previous governments, and Benkirane was appointed Prime Minister of Morocco on 29 November 2011.[12][13]

His new government has targeted average economic growth of 5.5 percent a year during its four-year mandate, and to reduce the jobless rate to 8 percent by the end of 2016 from 9.1 percent at the start of 2012.[13] Benkirane's government has also actively pursued Morocco’s ties with the European Union, its chief trade partner, as well as becoming increasingly engaged with the six-member Gulf Co-operation Council.

Ideology

PJD is an Islamist conservative democrat party crucially supporting Moroccan monarchy. PJD disavows violence, terrorism and seeks to defend Morocco’s Islamic identity through legislative means. According to The Washington Post, Saadeddine Othmani is a moderate Muslim.[14][6]

According to a paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the PJD has placed economic and legal issues at the core of its platform and is committed to internal democracy.[15]

The party's stated platform includes:[16]

Electoral results

Moroccan Parliament

House of Representatives
Election year # of
overall votes
% of
overall vote
# of
overall seats won
+/– Leader
1977 625,786 (#3) 12.40
44 / 264
-
Abdelkrim al-Khatib
1984 69,862 (#8) 1.6
0 / 301
Decrease 44
Abdelkrim al-Khatib
1993 Non-presented -
0 / 333
-
-
1997 264,324 (#10) 4.1
9 / 325
Increase 9
Abdelkrim al-Khatib
2002 ? (#3) 12.92
42 / 325
Increase 33
Abdelkrim al-Khatib
2007 503,396 (#2) 10.9
46 / 325
Increase 4
Saadeddine Othmani
2011 1,080,914 (#1) 22.8
107 / 395
Increase 61
Abdelilah Benkirane
2016 (#1) 31.65
125 / 395
Increase 18
Abdelilah Benkirane

References

  1. Feriha Perekli (2012). "The Applicability of the "Turkish Model" to Morocco: The Case of the Parti de la Justice et du Développement (PJD)" (PDF). Insight Turkey. 14 (3): 85–108.
  2. "Islamists in Morocco election claim 'historic' vote breakthrough". The Telegraph. 26 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 Alami, Aida (25 November 2011). "Moroccans Vote in Election Marking Shift of Power From King". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  4. Chen, Cherice (25 November 2011). "Morocco votes in first election since protests; Islamist party eyes victory". Taiwan News. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  5. Mohammed Hirchi (August 2007). "Political Islam in Morocco: The Case of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD)". ACAS Bulletin (77). Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 "Islamists in Morocco election claim 'historic' vote breakthrough". The Telegraph. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  7. 1 2 Kristine Krausch (July 2007). "An Islamist Government in Morocco?" (PDF). FRIDE. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  8. "Moroccans favor conservative party instead of ushering in Islamic party". International Herald Tribune. Associated Press. 9 September 2007. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  9. "Abdelilah Benkirane élu à la tête du PJD". JDM Magazine. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  10. "Morocco". European Forum. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  11. "Youth Perceptions in Morocco" (PDF). National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. 2012.
  12. Abdelilah Benkirane, dirigeant du Parti justice et développement, annoncé comme le vainqueur des législatives France24. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Morocco's new govt targets 5.5 pct GDP growth". Reuters. 19 January 2012.
  14. Knickmeyer, Ellen (7 September 2007). "Islamic Party Confident in Morocco". The Washington Post. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  15. Amr Hamzawy (July 2008). "Party for Justice and Development in Morocco: Participation and Its Discontents". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  16. "Arab Political Parties Database: Morocco: Justice and Development party". United Nations Development Programme. 15 December 2007. Retrieved 30 November 2011.

External links


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