The Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, has called for better protection of elected officials, whom he described as victims of smear campaigns on social media. In a statement shared with Yabiladi, Laftit emphasized that elected representatives are «pillars of democracy in our country». Speaking in the Chamber of Advisors on Tuesday, the minister warned that «any attack on the credibility and integrity of elected officials risks eroding public trust in our democratic and institutional system». Laftit urged parliamentary advisors to propose legislation aimed at «shielding elected officials from malicious campaigns that tarnish their reputation and undermine confidence in public institutions». To recall, on April 19, 2022, in the same chamber, Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi criticized civil society groups that file legal complaints against elected officials for alleged embezzlement of public funds. According to Ouahbi, «Oversight of funds allocated by the Ministry of the Interior is the responsibility of the Interior Minister—not these associations. Only the entity that disbursed the funds has the legal authority to file such complaints». A week after Ouahbi's remarks, the Interior Ministry adopted a stricter tone toward «certain associations, particularly professional organizations, that issue public statements about their activities, stances, or decisions without having the required legal status».
