Members of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) have overwhelmingly oppose changing the internal laws of the party to allow Abdelilah Benkirane to stand for a third term as the secretary general of PJD.

Benkirane will no longer serve as the secretary General of the PJD, reported Moroccan media.  During the PJD’s National Assembly session,which took place on Sunday morning, 126 members of the PJD voted against the amendment of the internal laws of the party, which would enable Benkirane to take charge of the party for a third mandate.

101 members of the party have ,however, supported Benkirane’s decision to seek a third term.

The vote came after the Committee on Regulations and Rules had already voted to change Article 16 of the party’s internal laws, which limit the function of the PJD’s secretary general to only two terms. The amendment of the party’s law was then voted by the majority of the party’s members.

Benkirane was elected in 2008 as PJD’s Secretary General when he defeated current Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani.

Benkirane’s charisma was a key factor for the party’s big win in the October 2016 elections, snatching 125 seats out of 395, an unprecedented result in the history of the country. Still, as he was lacking a clear majority, the PJD had to look for partners to form a coalition, which turned to be a difficult task. The party’s former ally, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), imposed the condition of including two other parties in the coalition before joining, which Benkirane refused.

Subsequently,  El Othmani was chosen by King Mohammed VI to replace Benkirane after he failed to form a government throughout six months of unsuccessful negotiations with other political parties.