Justice and Development Party (Morocco)
Encyclopedia
The Justice and Development Party is the largest opposition political party
in Morocco
. The PJD advocates Islamism
and Islamic democracy
.
party, from which he was expelled in the mid-1960s, under the name of MPDC . The party was an empty shell for many years, until various members of a clandestine association Chabiba islamia
, who later formed the MUR joined the party, with the authorisation and encouragement of former interior minister
Driss Basri
. It later changed its name to current PJD in 1998.
, held on 27 September 2002, the party won 42 out of 325 seats, winning most of the districts where it fielded candidates. Its secretary-general since 2004 is Saadeddine Othmani
, MP representing Mohammedia
. In the parliamentary election
held on 7 September 2007, the PJD won 46 out of 325 seats, behind the Istiqlal Party
, which won 52. This was contrary to expectations that the PJD would win the most seats.
. According to The Washington Post
, Saad Eddine el-Othmani (the party's head) is a moderate Muslim.
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.
The party's stated platform includes:
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
. The PJD advocates Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
and Islamic democracy
Islamic democracy
Islamic democracy refers to two kinds of democratic states that can be recognized in the Islamic countries. The basis of this distinction has to do with how comprehensively Islam is incorporated into the affairs of the state....
.
History
The party was founded by Abdelkrim Al Khatib one of the founders of the Popular MovementPopular Movement
The Popular Movement is a conservative liberal party in Morocco established in 1957 by the Berber Caid Mahjoubi Aherdane with help from Dr. Abdelkrim al-Khatib who founded later a splinter party that became the Justice and Development Party.The present party results from a 25 March 2006 merger...
party, from which he was expelled in the mid-1960s, under the name of MPDC . The party was an empty shell for many years, until various members of a clandestine association Chabiba islamia
Chabiba islamia
Chabiba islamia or Chabiba Al Islamiya was a violent clandestine and extremist Moroccan, Islamist group founded in 1969 by Abdelkrim Motii and Kamal Ibrahim. Its goal was the establishment of an Islamic state in Morocco....
, who later formed the MUR joined the party, with the authorisation and encouragement of former interior minister
Interior minister
An interior ministry is a government ministry typically responsible for policing, national security, and immigration matters. The ministry is often headed by a minister of the interior or minister of home affairs...
Driss Basri
Driss Basri
Driss Basri was a Moroccan politician who served as Interior Minister from 1979 to 1999. After General Oufkir's death in 1972, and then Ahmed Dlimi's death in 1983, Driss Basri became Hassan II's right-hand man and number two of the regime from the beginning of the 1980s to the end of the 1990s...
. It later changed its name to current PJD in 1998.
Parliamentary representation
In the parliamentary electionMoroccan parliamentary election, 2002
The 2002 Moroccan parliamentary election was held in Morocco on 27 September 2002. The election was the first since King Mohammed VI of Morocco had come to the throne in 1999 and international observers saw it as a test of his commitment to democracy...
, held on 27 September 2002, the party won 42 out of 325 seats, winning most of the districts where it fielded candidates. Its secretary-general since 2004 is Saadeddine Othmani
Saadeddine Othmani
Saadeddine Othmani is a Moroccan politician and psychiatrist. He was born in 1956 in Inezgane near Agadir in the Souss region. He earned a Doctorate in Medicine from the Hassan II University of Casablanca in...
, MP representing Mohammedia
Mohammedia
Mohammedia is a port city on the west coast of Morocco located between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Greater Casablanca. It hosts the most important oil refinery of Morocco, Samir, which makes it the center of the Moroccan petrol...
. In the parliamentary election
Moroccan parliamentary election, 2007
Parliamentary elections were held in Morocco on 7 September 2007, the second of King Mohammed VI's reign. Voter turnout was estimated to be 37%, the lowest in Moroccan political history. There were 33 different parties and 13 independent candidates competing for 325 assembly seats...
held on 7 September 2007, the PJD won 46 out of 325 seats, behind the Istiqlal Party
Istiqlal Party
The Istiqlal or Independence Party is a political party in Morocco...
, which won 52. This was contrary to expectations that the PJD would win the most seats.
Ideology
The PJD claims to be inspired by Turkey's Justice and Development PartyJustice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
. According to The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, Saad Eddine el-Othmani (the party's head) is a moderate Muslim.
According to a paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
, the PJD has placed economic and legal issues at the core of its platform and is committed to internal democracy.
The party's stated platform includes:
- Education reform
- Economic partnerships with other countries
- Encouraging investment
- Greater Arab and Muslim unityMuslim UnityMuslim Unity is a term that refers to establishing a good and peaceful relations among the various Islamic denominations, and usually refers to political unity in the form of a Caliphate some sort of federalism between Muslim nations....
- Enhancement of democracyDemocracyDemocracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...