The political participation of Moroccans living abroad returns to the spotlight with each election cycle in Morocco. More than a decade after the adoption of the 2011 Constitution, the issue remains divisive, caught between partisan pledges of goodwill and the repeated rejection of legislative reforms on the matter. This August, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit began consultations with political parties ahead of the 2026 legislative elections, following royal directives from the Throne Speech on July 29. In his address, King Mohammed VI stressed the need to hold elections on their constitutional date and to adopt a specific Electoral Code for the House of Representatives before the end of the year. Yet, among parties represented in Parliament, the issue of political participation for Moroccans living abroad (MRE) rarely makes it onto the agenda. Even before these consultations began, Laftit reminded the House of Councillors that Moroccans abroad enjoy the same rights as citizens living in the country. As he had in 2024, he underlined that the current electoral system gives MREs «the right to register on the general electoral rolls, as well as the right to vote and run for all elections held on national soil». He added that legislators had «expanded the possibilities for registration on the general electoral lists», including direct voting in Moroccan polling stations or voting by proxy from their country of residence. To boost MRE representation in the House of Representatives in 2021, political parties were required to place a candidate residing abroad at the top of at least one regional list, or risk losing public funding. The minister reiterated that the government remains «open to any constructive proposal aimed at strengthening the electoral participation of MRE, in compliance with the framework established by the Constitution». However, members of Moroccan civil society abroad say the issue remains unresolved. Salem Fkire, founding president of the Cap Sud MRE association, told Yabiladi that the project has stalled despite repeated appeals to political parties. Following the adoption of the 2011 Constitution, the NGO signed agreements with four major parties, the PPS, the PJD, the PAM, and Istiqlal, two from the governing majority and two from the opposition. A decade later, in March 2021, a bill tabled by Istiqlal for the direct political participation of MREs was rejected in Parliament, just months before the September 8 elections that year. Proposals left unanswered Cap Sud MRE's main proposal, agreed upon with the signatory parties, sought to implement Articles 16, 17, 18, and 163 of the Constitution. It called for creating a dedicated MRE college within the House of Councillors, or establishing a new constituency represented across five continents, with seats proportional to the number of MREs in each region. During the 2021 elections and up until 2025, neither option has been implemented or placed on the public debate agenda. «It would be a shame if the issue of electoral participation and the creation of constituencies became a bargaining chip in political negotiations, which would explain these years of rejection», said Fkire. «Beyond the political stakes our participation represents, it is also an essential issue for maintaining ties between the third and fourth generations and the mother nation». According to Fkire, «the question today is whether political parties in Parliament, as well as the government, will allow the creation of constituencies abroad, just as Senegal, France, and Italy do for their citizens, proportionally to the size of the community abroad». Cap Sud MRE maintains that «the representativeness of constituencies for Moroccans abroad is a legislative and political mechanism best suited to addressing our issues as MREs, especially since His Majesty has given his directives for full and complete participation». «It's not about making this change at the expense of local representation in national constituencies, but rather about adding around 15% more parliamentary seats to allow Moroccans worldwide to sit alongside other elected officials, participate in parliamentary committees, and join constitutional institutions», he added. Calls for political will Frustration is also mounting among those who have participated in politics in their countries of residence but remain excluded in Morocco. Former socialist deputy in the Catalan Parliament (PCS) and the Spanish Congress (PSOE), Mohamed Chaïb Akhdim, the first Moroccan-origin MP in Spain — is now president of the Ibn Battuta Foundation in Barcelona. «The question of political participation of MRE and their representation through elections must be addressed to the government. We need to know what the head of the executive, the ministers, but also other political parties and elected officials think», Chaïb told Yabiladi. «Having chaired the citizenship and political participation commission at the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), I remember the numerous documents we produced on MRE participation in elections and their access to institutions. It remains to be seen whether the government truly wants MRE to actively participate in the electoral process or not». Chaïb questioned what has been done with these documents, stressing the need to align with the King's directives. He also expressed «incomprehension about the motivations behind spreading the idea, especially as each election approaches, that Morocco is not yet ready for the participation of its citizens abroad». In his view, «the best mechanism of representation for MRE would be to hold elections through the consulates, as other countries do in consular constituencies abroad, including Spain». This, he argued, would ensure that many of the issues facing Moroccans abroad are better represented and addressed. «It's an interesting option to consider, provided there is genuine political will to involve citizens worldwide in the process, whether in government, the majority, or the opposition». «Our various Moroccan consulates abroad are very well placed to ensure the smooth running of such operations. The logistical resources are available, and our human resources in these representations are among the most qualified to ensure this mobilization», he added. For Chaïb, creating constituencies for Moroccans abroad would be «a powerful tool for raising political awareness about issues related to their country of origin, starting with the national cause, which deserves to be championed by a significant political force through elected representatives and institutions». From constitutional principle to legal action University professor and migration researcher Abdelkrim Belguendouz argues that since the 2011 Constitution, the political participation of MREs through electoral representation «remains entirely open». «When it is proposed that to run for office, one must apply in a constituency on national territory, this formula does not take into account the specificity of Moroccans worldwide», he told Yabiladi. «The constitutional principle lays foundations whose details must be defined in organic laws and framework laws, which have yet to address the subject», he said. «Voting by proxy has proven its limits in effectively including MREs in electoral processes. Reports from the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) show that recourse to this option remains extremely minimal». «The royal speech of August 20, 2022, provided guidance in favor of including MREs in political life; it remains to be seen whether legislation has since taken their specificities into account», Belguendouz added. «Not only has the government not responded to this royal appeal, but it also took until the speech of November 6, 2024, for the orientation to be reaffirmed. Even now, it still finds no echo among politicians and the relevant actors». «With the latest Throne Day speech, we can only welcome the start of consultations with political parties for election preparations. This time, the arguments of anti-participation advocates, citing time constraints, logistical hurdles, and human resources, to postpone the MRE question are no longer acceptable», he concluded, stressing that the ball is now in the political parties' court.
