International observers praised the strong turnout of voters at polling stations in the Moroccan Saharan city of Laayoune, and lauded the civic mobilization witnessed from the early hours of voting in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections.
Raquel Guevara, President of the Salvadoran Office for the Defense of Human Rights, who is taking part in the election observation, described the conduct of the electoral process in Laayoune as a “true civic celebration,” saying she was particularly struck by “the large turnout” of voters who came to exercise their right to vote, and notably by the strong participation of women.
Speaking to MAP, Guevara said she went to a polling station early in the morning when it opened, noting that she found that many people were already waiting to enter the polling station and exercise their right to vote.
For her part, Fatma Lamir, a French observer with the association “La 9ème – Talent et Territoires,” said this was her second time taking part in election observation in Morocco, after having been present in Guelmim during the 2021 elections.
She said she was pleased to see the same strong civic mobilization and to see voters taking part in the democratic process. “Participation is beautiful, it is magnificent. There are women, young people, elderly people, and people with reduced mobility. It is simply extraordinary.”
The Special Commission for the Accreditation of Election Observers, it may be recalled, accredited 26 non-governmental associations and national institutions, as well as 30 international bodies and organizations, mobilizing a total of 3,006 observers.
In Laayoune, voters turned out in large numbers at polling stations in an atmosphere marked by orderly proceedings and smooth operations. Authorities mobilized 273 polling stations and 34 central polling stations to enable voters to exercise their right under the best possible conditions.
