Morocco's Constitutional Court has ruled that 10 parliamentary seats are vacant due to conflicts of interest with government appointments. The decision, numbered 294/26, was made under Article 14 of the 27.11 regulatory law related to the House of Representatives. This ruling follows requests from the House of Representatives' president to apply the incompatibility procedure after a new government was formed.
The court's decision affects several high-profile politicians, including Fatima Zahra Mansouri, who was elected in the City – Sidi Youssef Ben Ali district. Her seat was declared vacant after her appointment as Prime Minister by royal decree on September 29, 2026. Mansouri's appointment triggered the court's review, as did the appointments of nine other MPs who became government members on October 16, 2026.
The nine MPs whose seats were declared vacant include Abdel Latif Wahbi, Ryad Mazour, Mohammed El Mehdi Ben Said, Aziz Din Al Madawi, Abdel Samad Qiyouh, Abdel Rahim Shahid, Najwa Kkous, Omar Hajira, and Rashid Hammoni. According to the court, their appointments to the government create a direct conflict of interest that prevents them from holding both positions.
In two instances, the court found that the requests to declare seats vacant were no longer relevant. One case involved Nizar Baraka from the Larache district, whose seat had already been declared vacant by a previous decision, 293, on November 3, 2026. The other case concerned Madiha Khair from the Beni Mellal district, who was appointed minister on October 16 but dismissed by royal decree on October 18, 2026.
The court also considered the resignations submitted by the MPs in question between October 21 and 23, which were verified by the House of Representatives' bureau on October 27. However, the court ruled that these resignations were moot, as the MPs' seats had already become vacant by law due to their government appointments.
The Constitutional Court's decision was made in response to requests from the president of the House of Representatives, who sought to apply the incompatibility procedure after the formation of a new government. The court's ruling was communicated to the Prime Minister, the president of the House of Representatives, and will be published in the Official Gazette.
The outcome of this ruling may have implications for the composition of the Moroccan parliament and the functioning of the government. Key points include:
Key points
- The Constitutional Court declared 10 parliamentary seats vacant due to conflicts of interest with government appointments.
- Affected politicians include Prime Minister Fatima Zahra Mansouri and nine other MPs appointed to government positions.
- The court's decision was made under Article 14 of the 27.11 regulatory law related to the House of Representatives.
