The debate between Abdelouafi Laftit, the Minister of the Interior, and the parliamentary group of the Justice and Development Party was renewed on Thursday in the House of Representatives, during the decision on amendments to the articles of Organic Law No. 27.11 relating to the first parliamentary chamber.

Parliamentarian Abdel Samad Haikar raised the issue of the “electoral quotient” that was adopted in the last legislative elections, claiming that it was “tainted with unconstitutionality, especially since the organizational law relating to the House of Representatives speaks of the principle of proportional representation.”

The Minister of the Interior refused to question the constitutionality of the “electoral quotient” stipulated in Article 84 of the aforementioned organic law, saying: “How can one say that an article that has passed before the Constitutional Court is unconstitutional?… Perhaps there is a big problem! And I will not continue the discussion with you on this subject.”

The debate between the two sides also intensified regarding Article 57 of the same regulatory law, which concerns the regulation of handing over the voting minutes to the representatives of the candidates in the elections. The PJD submitted amendments that call for stricter penalties for the heads of polling stations in the event that they refuse to hand over the minutes, by establishing a prison sentence of two to five years, and a financial fine of 30 to 50 thousand dirhams.

Laftit expressed surprise at these amendments and at the party's insistence on"the existence of a problem in receiving the minutes during the last elections," saying sarcastically: "During the years 2015 and 2016, nothing happened; but during the 2021 elections, the minutes were not received!"

The same government official explained that “it concerns the same polling stations and the same presidents, who I do not believe were directed against a particular party in the 2021 elections,” noting that “the electoral process is based on trust, and this trust cannot only be present during the election victory and absent during the loss.”

Laftit mentioned on this occasion that “what is required is to find out how to approve texts that obligate the head of the office to hand over the minutes to the representatives of the candidates, while ensuring the protection of his rights, and imposing strict penalties on him if he does not do what is necessary.”

In contrast, Abdel Samad Haikar, a member of the parliamentary group of the PJD, said that “the Minister of the Interior, perhaps, only has the data indicating that the heads of polling stations did not refuse to hand over the minutes in favor of the candidates’ representatives,” explaining that his party “experienced the opposite in the 2021 elections, which made it submit amendments regarding this point.”

Hisham Al-Mahajiri, a member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, stepped forward to defend the heads of polling stations, warning against “risking them,” adding: “Most of them are teachers, young people, and municipal employees who are brought in. We cannot intimidate them with provisions that include prison sentences, especially since they receive meager compensation.”

Al-Muhajiri added, during his intervention, that “the majority of the heads of offices that we know have not been involved in any violation or problem, so why seek to act in bad faith?” the MP from “PAM” asked.