Electoral laws: How the system was strengthened

Nearly a week after their approval by the Council of Ministers, chaired by His Majesty the King, the draft laws concerning the organization of the upcoming elections have finally reached the House of Representatives

Abdelouafi Laftit will soon have to begin his parliamentary marathon to get the bills relating to the organization of the next elections adopted before the end of this year, in accordance with the royal instruction

. Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit will soon have to embark on a parliamentary marathon to have these draft laws adopted by Parliament before the end of this year, in accordance with royal instructions. In the meantime, it is clear that the Minister of the Interior has strengthened the measures in place to combat illegal practices.
The draft organic law relating to the election of members of the House of Representatives tightens the screws. Indeed, any person who, on the day of the election, carries out, either personally or through another person, the publication or distribution of posters, leaflets, or electoral documents, directly or by any means, including social media, open broadcasting platforms, artificial intelligence tools, electronic platforms, Internet applications or computer systems, may serve jail time of 3 to 6 months and a fine of 20,000 to 50,000 Dirhams (USD 2170 to 5423).
Similarly, any public official or agent of an administration or local authority who distributes candidates’ programs, leaflets, or electoral documents will serve jail time of six months to one year and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Dirhams (USD 5,423 to 10,845) . The same penalty applies to anyone who publishes political announcements or paid election advertisements on foreign websites or electronic platforms.
This penalty will be applied to anyone who engages in electoral promotion or distributes documents on behalf of unregistered lists or candidates. The sentence is six months to one year in prison, in addition to the same fine if the perpetrator is a public official, an agent of the administration, or an employee of a local authority.
According to Article 49, anyone carrying visible or concealed weapons, or objects posing a danger to public safety, who enters a polling station is liable to a prison sentence of two to five years and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 Dirhams (USD 5,423 to 10,845). Similarly, Article 51 applies the same penalty to anyone who publishes false information or rumors by any means whatsoever. This includes social media, artificial intelligence, or any electronic platform or application. The same penalty and fine will be applied to anyone who undermines the freedom or integrity of the vote by any means whatsoever. The same applies to anyone who commits these acts.

Mohamed CHAOUI