Mohamed Chouki, a member of the political bureau of Morocco's National Rally of Independents (RNI) party and head of its parliamentary group, is on the verge of succeeding Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch as party leader during an extraordinary conference scheduled to take place in the city of El Jadida on 7 February. The conference is expected to outline the contours of the post-Akhannouch phase after he led the party to form the government following its defeat of Islamist parties in the 8 September 2021 legislative elections.
The National Rally of Independents announced on Wednesday that, in accordance with the party's statutes and internal regulations, and after the deadline for submitting candidacies for party leadership expired, the political bureau received Mohamed Chouki's candidacy and, after reviewing it, decided to refer it to the extraordinary conference.
Chouki's candidacy emerged as the only official nomination for party leadership, following the extended deadline for submitting candidatures to succeed Akhannouch, which expired on Wednesday without any other nominations.
The path appears clear for Chouki, an expert in business administration and financial analysis and a graduate of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and J.C. Smith University in the United States, to succeed Akhannouch at the head of the party, which has led Morocco's government since 2021, in the absence of other competitors.
Lately, several names have circulated behind the scenes to lead the party, most notably Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the influential businessman and former minister of industry, trade, investment, and digital economy, and Mohamed Oujar, a political bureau member and one of the figures who combine politics, diplomacy, and human rights.
Also mentioned were Rashid Talbi Alami, speaker of the Moroccan House of Representatives, and Nadia Fettah Alaoui, the current minister of economy and finance.
While the extraordinary conference expected to convene next month, on 7 February, is set to decide, alongside the new leadership, the roadmap for preparations for the 2026 elections, Prime Minister Akhannouch's announcement on 11 January that he would not seek a third term at the head of the National Rally of Independents triggered a political earthquake at a party landscape heading toward heated elections in the final quarter of the current year.
In a surprise move carrying notable political and organisational implications, Akhannouch announced that he would not run to lead the party during the eighth national conference, saying, "This is the best time to pass the torch, and no one should exceed two terms; leadership is not an inheritance."
Akhannouch added during a meeting of the party's political bureau, "I have fulfilled my duty, and the party is undergoing deep development, and everyone acknowledges that it dominates the national political scene. This is a personal conviction; I will not run for a third term."
Recently, Akhannouch faced challenges, including a call from the "Generation Z" movement, in a message to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, for his departure and the dismissal of the government he leads, citing its "failure to protect Moroccans' constitutional rights and respond to their social demands."
Politicians and observers have also raised what they describe as a "conflict of interest" in the contract for the Casablanca seawater desalination project, won by a consortium including Spain's Acciona, Green of Africa, and Afriquia Gaz, part of the Akwa Group owned by the prime minister.