PJD picks Idriss Azami to run for speaker of Morocco’s lower house

PJD puts forward Idriss Azami for speaker post

Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) has selected Idriss Azami as its candidate for the position of speaker of the House of Representatives, according to sources who spoke to Hespress AR. The move sets up a contest with Ahmed Touizi, who is running for the same role under the banner of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM).

The vote to elect the next speaker is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

Internal selection process and lack of coalition talks

A PJD lawmaker informed Hespress that the party’s general secretariat had notified its parliamentary group of Azami’s candidacy. The same source noted that the PJD has not engaged in discussions with other opposition groups to rally support for its nominee.

Prior to settling on Azami, the PJD had considered three contenders for the position: Azami himself, parliamentary group leader Abdellah Bouanou, and Amina Maelainine.

Majority alliance backs rival candidate

Touizi enjoys the backing of PAM, which leads a newly formed parliamentary majority that also includes the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, and the Party of Progress and Socialism.

The new majority was announced on Monday, one day before the vote to choose the next speaker of the lower house of parliament.