Authenticity and Modernity Party
حزب الأصالة والمعاصرة
ⴰⵎⵓⵍⵍⵉ ⵏ ⵜⴰⵥⵖⵓⵕⵜ ⴷ ⵜⴰⵎⵜⵔⴰⵔⵜ
General SecretaryAbdellatif Ouahbi
FounderFouad Ali El Himma
FoundedAugust 2008 (2008-08)
Merger ofEnvironment and Development Party, Alliance of Liberties, Civic Initiative for Development
HeadquartersRabat
Ideology
Political positionSyncretic[4][5]
House of Representatives
82 / 395
House of Councillors
23 / 120
Website
www.pam.ma

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (Arabic: حزب الأصالة والمعاصرة, romanized: ḥizb al-ʾaṣāla wa-l-muʿāṣira; Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴰⵎⵓⵍⵍⵉ ⵏ ⵜⴰⵥⵖⵓⵕⵜ ⴷ ⵜⴰⵎⵜⵔⴰⵔⵜ, romanized: amulli n taẓɣoṛt d tamtrart) is a political party in Morocco. It was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, an advisor to the king Mohammed VI, and it has been perceived by its opponents and the press as being backed and directed by the monarchy.[1][6] As such, it has been accused of having little ideology except for support of the monarchy, although some of its policies have been described as socially liberal.[3]

History

Establishment

The political party was founded in 2008.[7] Its first constitutive congress took place on 20 February 2009.[8] It was preceded by the Authenticity and Modernity parliamentary bloc, formed after the 2007 parliamentary election, and the think tank "Movement of All Democrats"[9] (Mouvement de Tous les Démocrats, MTD), both created and led by El Himma. "The Movement of All Democrats" creation communiqué was signed by a number of influential Moroccan public figures including: Aziz Akhenouch, Mustapha Bakkoury, Ahmed Akhchichine, Rachid Talbi Alami, Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah and three human rights activists who had served on Mohammed VI's Equity and Reconciliation Commission which investigated human rights abuses during Hassan II's reign.[10]

A number of political parties merged into PAM: Al Ahd, the National Democratic Party (PND), the Alliance of Liberties, the Environment and Development Party and the Civic Initiative for Development.[11] The formation's main objective was to hit back at the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).[4] It has been characterised as reform-oriented and modernist,[1] but lacks a clear political orientation. It positioned itself between the parties of the Istiqlal Party-led coalition and the oppositional PJD. Because of uncertainties about the organisation's ideology and political strategy, the PND and al-Ahd left it again a short time after they had joined.[4]

As a royal party aimed at maintaining the dominant role of the monarch, it can be compared to the Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions (FDIC) of the 1960s, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) of the 1970s and the Constitutional Union (UC) of the 1980s.[11] Despite being its factual leader, El Himma has not taken up a formal post in the party.[4]

Controversy and alleged palace involvement

Although Fouad Ali El Himma, a close friend of Mohammed VI, was key in the foundation of the party and many observers—including the American ambassador in Morocco—have described the party as "the palace party",[12] a Moroccan court sentenced politician Abdellah El Kadiri to a fine of 4 million Dirhams (US$500,000) after it judged that alleging that the Palace had a role in the foundation of the party amounts to slander.[13] Abdellah El Kadiri was president of one of the political parties that merged itself into the Authenticity and Modernity Party.[13]

Developtment since 2009

Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah was elected as the first secretary-general on 22 February 2009.[14]

In the 2009 communal elections, the party won the greatest number of seats, replacing the Istiqlal Party as the leading force.[15] Due to defections from other parties, the PAM became a major force in parliament. In October 2009, it took over the presidency of the House of Councillors.[16]

On the eve of the 2011 parliamentary election the PAM formed an alliance with seven other political parties of very disparate political outlooks[17] called the "Alliance for Democracy". The party won 47 out of 325 seats in the election, becoming the fourth-largest party in the parliament.[18] After the victory of the Islamist PJD, the PAM announced it would go into opposition.[19]

The PAM won 102 seats in the October 2016 parliamentary election, an increase of 55, making it the second largest party.

The PAM won 87 seats in the 2021 parliamentary election, a fall of 15 seats since the last election, but still remaining the second largest party.[20][21]

In December 2023, Said Naciri and Abdennabi Biioui, two prominent members of the party were arrested for an international drug trafficking case.[22][23] Naciri and Biioui are facing multiple allegations ranging from Money laundering, forming a Criminal organisation, international Drug trafficking, despoliation, and forging official documents.[24][25]

Electoral results

Moroccan Parliament

House of Representatives
Election year # of
overall votes		  % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Leader
2011 524,386 (#4) 11.1
47 / 395
New
2016 1,205,444 (#2) 25.82
102 / 395
Increase55
2021 N/A (#2) 22.59
87 / 395
Decrease15

References

  1. 1 2 3 The report: Morocco 2009 (Report). Oxford Business Group. 2009. p. 19.
  2. ↑ "Authenticity and Modernity Party". ourcampaigns.com. Our Campaigns.
  3. 1 2 "Morocco: Moderate parties rout ruling Islamists in elections". Deutsche Welle. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  4. 1 2 3 4 James N. Sater (2012). New wine in old bottles: political parties under Mohammed VI. Routledge. pp. 19–21. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. ↑ "The king's friend: A new leader emerges, but how credible will he be?". The Economist. 2 July 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Michael J. Willis (2012). Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring. C. Hurst & Co. pp. 149–150.
  7. ↑ Bruce Maddy-Weitzman; Daniel Zisenwine (2013). Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and Society Under Mohammmed VI. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-415-69546-6. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  8. ↑ "Organizations". Maroc. 18 April 2013. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  9. ↑ Feliu, Laura; Parejo, Maria Angustias (2013). "Morocco: The reinvention of an authoritarian system". Political Regimes in the Arab World: Society and the Exercise of Power. Routledge. p. 73.
  10. ↑ Riley (18 January 2008). "Palace insider set to form new party". Embassy Rabat. Archived from the original on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  11. 1 2 López García, Bernabé (2013). Morocco: regime and fuse. Routledge. pp. 101–102. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  12. ↑ Kaplan (28 October 2009). "Palace party seeks to dominate the Moroccan political scene". Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  13. 1 2 "القضاء يحسم في عدم دور القصر في تأسيس الأصالة والمعاصرة ويغرم القادري ب 400 مليون سنتيم لصالح الهمة". Alifpost. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on 10 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  14. ↑ "Moroccan new party elects first secretary general". People's Daily Online. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  15. ↑ The report: Morocco 2009 (Report). Oxford Business Group. 2009. p. 14.
  16. ↑ Boukhars, Anouar (2011). Politics in Morocco: Executive Monarchy and Enlightened Authoritarianism. Routledge. pp. 76, 78.
  17. ↑ "A la veille des élections Alliance de huit partis politiques sans lien idéologique". Marpresse. 10 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  18. ↑ "Morocco". European Forum. Archived from the original on 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  19. ↑ "Party of Authenticity and Modernity Not to Participate in Upcoming Government". Morocco World News. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  20. ↑ "Morocco elections: Islamists suffer losses as liberal parties gain ground". The Guardian. 2021-09-09. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  21. ↑ "Islamists suffer crushing defeat in Moroccan parliamentary elections". France 24. 2021-09-09. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  22. ↑ "Speculations surround Ouahbi's resignation, as PAM convenes amid arrest of key members". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  23. ↑ "Wydad president, dozen others arrested amid 'escobar of the desert' drug trafficking scandal". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  24. ↑ "Moroccan political and business leaders caught up in international drug trafficking case". Le Monde.fr. 2023-12-31. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  25. ↑ Zouiten, Sara (22 December 2023). "WAC President, Regional Council Chief Detained in Drug, Financial Crimes Case". Morocco World News.

Further reading

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