The International Republican Institute (IRI), a U.S. non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to advancing democracy, has sent a delegation of international election observers to Morocco “to conduct a rapid response technical assessment” of the country’s September 23 parliamentary elections in Morocco’s Southern Provinces.
“Morocco’s Southern Provinces sit at the intersection of significant investment, evolving political dynamics and governance reforms,” said former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker, who co-leads the mission alongside IRI Board Member Tami Longaberger.
“These elections will determine how Morocco’s political institutions can translate the Southern Provinces’ growing demands for economic opportunity, accountable governance, and meaningful political participation into credible democratic representation”, he added in a press release issued by IRI.
The high-level delegation will join IRI’s long-term election analysts, who have been in Morocco since August. The delegation will meet with election authorities, political parties, civic organizations, and others from across the Moroccan political spectrum. On Election Day, delegates will be deployed across the governorates of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab and Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra.
Following the mission, IRI will release a preliminary statement of findings and a comprehensive report offering an impartial assessment of the quality and conduct of the elections, along with recommendations to strengthen future electoral processes.
The International Republican Institute is based in Washington D.C. It was established in 1983 following a call by President Ronald Reagan to foster democracy globally. It is funded and supported by the U.S. federal government, including through the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).