In Morocco, the thorny issue of the management of elected officials convicted or prosecuted by the courts is regularly debated. Currently, around twenty deputies find themselves in this situation, which is causing a wave of scandal among part of the political opposition. However, the majority maintains that only a final court decision can result in the forfeiture of an elected official.
The problem lies in the fact that, despite prosecutions or convictions, these elected officials retain their status, as well as all the benefits associated with it, notably their salary. The charges against these deputies vary, ranging from embezzlement of public funds to acts of embezzlement. The problem is that Parliament does not have the power to remove an elected official from office until a final court decision has been rendered, which can take several years in the event of an appeal before the cassation.
Some members of the opposition, such as Nabila Mounib of the United Socialist Party, are outraged by this situation and are calling for a radical change in Parliament’s policy towards these deputies. For his part, Hicham Ait Manna, majority deputy, recognizes that there were errors in the management of the convicted elected officials and assures that the Constitutional Court will resolve the problem in the coming months.
In the meantime, only political parties have the power to take measures against their own elected representatives. In particular, they can exclude these elected representatives from their parliamentary group, which leads to the elimination of their speaking time. However, this provision is not systematically applied.
This case highlights the need for in-depth reflection on the role of elected officials convicted or prosecuted by the courts and on the measures to be taken to ensure better governance within political institutions. Indeed, it is essential to guarantee the probity and integrity of the people’s representatives, in order to preserve the confidence of citizens in their elected representatives and in the democratic system as a whole.
It remains to be hoped that concrete solutions will be found to deal with this problem and prevent elected officials convicted or prosecuted by the courts from continuing to exercise their functions without being worried. Without this, the credibility of the political system risks suffering and citizens’ disenchantment with the political class will only grow. It is therefore time to act and implement reforms to guarantee better justice and greater accountability for our elected officials.