فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
In a controversial development, the Moroccan city of Meknes has witnessed a severe political crisis within its municipal council, with most members of the Free National Rally Party (RNI) aligning against Mayor Jawad Bahji, who is nominally affiliated with the same party.
This unified stance by the RNI members came in response to a complaint filed by Bahji against his third deputy, Mohamed Bakhtaoui, to the city’s governor. This action has sparked widespread anger among the party’s various structures and militants in Meknes.
In an escalatory move, the RNI’s provincial coordination issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the mayor’s actions. The RNI Women’s Organization also joined this position, expressing its denunciation of what it described as the “settling of scores” by the council president against his party colleagues.
In a striking statement, the women’s organization described the mayor as “affiliated with the party in name only,” despite being the party’s list agent in the last municipal elections and being elected as the president of Meknes municipality on behalf of the party. The organization declared its full solidarity with the third deputy, Mohamed Bakhtaoui, who also holds a position as a member of the party’s national council.
For its part, the party’s provincial secretariat held the mayor responsible for the inquiry faced by the councilor from the city’s governor, pointing to the possibility of activating Article 64 of the Municipalities Law, which could lead to administrative and legal consequences.
This crisis comes at a sensitive time, with a state of political instability prevailing within the Meknes municipal council. The question remains about the future of the relationship between the mayor and his party, and the impact of this crisis on the council’s operations and service to the citizens’ interests in the city.
