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RABAT: Campaigning for Morocco\u2019s legislative election opened on Thursday, with the governing coalition seeking to retain power amid discontent over economic and regional inequalities.<\/p>\n
The disparities are set to be a major issue in the vote, which will be held days before the first anniversary of a youth-led protest movement.<\/p>\n
Lagging economic development and youth unemployment are in the spotlight after tens of thousands of people, predominantly Moroccans, crossed into the neighboring Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July in a massive migrant rush.<\/p>\n
The parties in the running for power hope to tap into these frustrations, even with political disinterest high among the young.<\/p>\n
Only about three percent of those registered to vote are aged 18 to 24.<\/p>\n
Nearly 16 million people have registered to elect 395 members of the House of Representatives on September 23.<\/p>\n
Morocco\u2019s prime minister, currently Aziz Akhannouch, is appointed by the king from the party that wins the most seats.<\/p>\n
The premier then forms a government for a five-year term, while the monarch retains control of major policy decisions.<\/p>\n
Political parties have rolled out their programs on social media, but Moroccan media outlets have questioned some of the pledges in their campaigns.<\/p>\n
News website Le360 criticized \u201cdazzling financial promises\u201d made by some parties.<\/p>\n
It said their programs were filled with attractive social and economic pledges but offered little clarity on how they would be financed.<\/p>\n
Political scientist Abdellah Tourabi wrote in the weekly magazine TelQuel that the campaign lacked substantive political debate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n