The Interior Committee has approved a significant amendment concerning support for independent candidates in the upcoming elections under Organic Law No. 27.11 related to the House of Representatives. The amendment, proposed by the majority groups and the Socialist team – the federal opposition, requires that independent lists, with candidates under 35 years old, secure at least 5% of the expressed votes to benefit from public support, rather than relying solely on the internal ranking of the list.
The committee, during the session attended by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit, emphasized the necessity for programs presented by the youth benefiting from the support to be comprehensive and reliable, in addition to providing a banking document proving the availability of adequate funding for the electoral campaign. These measures aim to ensure equal opportunities between independent candidates and political party members, as well as to regulate the financial support to rationalize electoral spending.
The Minister of the Interior also rejected an amendment proposing to raise the age limit for beneficiaries of support to 40, reaffirming that the youth age remains set at 35, indicating that those over this age can run as part of their parties without any legal restrictions.
The session for studying and voting on the organic law included extensive discussions about Article 23 concerning candidate lists for individuals without party affiliation, the conditions for candidacy, and the suitability of an electronic platform to facilitate participation for people with disabilities. Various provisions of the project were also addressed, with the groups and parliamentary coalition presenting a total of 164 amendments covering all regulatory and financial aspects related to the elections.
This amendment aims to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure a balance of opportunities among all candidates, establishing a clear distinction between serious and non-serious candidates within the framework of enhancing integrity and transparency in the financing of electoral campaigns for independent youth candidates.
