The 2016 Moroccan general elections are closing in as they take place on the 7th of October. Parties have from all stripes of the Moroccan political spectrum started campaigning officially since Saturday. Each party is trying to prove that they are the best fit to form the next government at the expense of the failures of the other parties. Each party is trying to attract as many voters as possible by promising the best policies and changes in the political, social, and economic sectors. However, no matter how hard the thirty-plus parties try, some voters, mainly young Moroccans (18-30), are simply not going to vote. Those Moroccans do not recognize the elections to be so much effective in making a change for a variety of reasons. Hence, even though they are very active on campaign days via social media, they do not bother turning up on voting day.
The Moroccan youth has lost almost all trust in the political parties. Throughout history, and even after the constitutional reform introduced in 2011 following the Arab Spring, young Moroccans have been disappointed by the ruling government. It is a common belief that those who make it to the parliament do not bother to fight for the issues the population expects them to fight for. Instead, either politicians do not show up or their presence does not contribute to the discussion. The government, on the one hand, betrays the voters by not keeping appearances and not starting a truthful conversation on the pressing issues. The opposition, on the other hand, is not interested in any social, political, or economic change as long as they do not propose it or benefit from it. Moroccan youth simply see all politicians, whether they represent the government or the opposition, merely as businessmen trying to generate as much money and power from their positions, regardless of the daily struggle of Moroccans.
Voters have always been looking for the ideal party that promises all the right changes in the important sectors. After the constitutional reform, Moroccans of all ages were excited for the next chapter in politics. The Justice and Development Party, formally known as PJD, had used a simple language to address people, including its Islamic reference to persuade undecided voters. As part of their program, Moroccans expected them to recover the stolen wealth and punish those who had a hand in acts of money laundering elsewhere. They also promised equality, freedom, justice, including appealing slogans to attract most voters. Simple language, Islamic background, social and political justice, and economic refreshment, Moroccans, especially the young, were all happy with what they were promised. Fast-forward four years later, all that was achieved was more of social injustice and inequality, higher prices of daily products, and even more political incompetence. All of which has turned off young Moroccan voters from trusting anymore political parties that propose unrealistic changes that cannot be achieved. However, instead of learning their lesson, political parties have not changed their methods, nor their speeches and attitudes while trying to persuade voters to vote for them.
Even more troubling for the young Moroccan voters is how the parties utilize their money to buy votes from uneducated senior citizens. Everyone knows how the two-weeks campaigns are essentially a 24/7 bribery festival to buy votes by organizing big feasts, helping the poor, offering job opportunities – it is mainly a wish-granting campaign for two whole weeks. This shows how politicians perceive voters as ignorant, non-cultivated and politically passive beings with very limited to no understanding of how politics work and how the government is run. Therefore, not participating in a celebration, festival, or “political campaign” is a stand against the undermining of Moroccan citizens.
The aforementioned are only few reasons why young Moroccans do not vote. Other reasons may include the low level of education and health, the lack of transparency in the political discourse, disbelief in a possible social upgrading through politics, and much more.
Many will argue that the youth are simply politically disinterested and indifferent. But this is not true, just have look at the comment section of various news outlets, including on their Facebook pages, to see how much the youth follow the political scene, and are well aware of everything. Many youth nevertheless are not voting as long as they feel alienated from the decision-making process, and betrayed by politicians who just want to make more money and hold on to power for as long as possible. Therefore, the political discourse has to be changed if the political parties want to engage more with the young Moroccan voters.
