Mohamed Houar’s resignation and move to PAM shake RNI ranks in Oujda before elections

Mohamed Houar has left Morocco’s National Rally of Independents, and his next political move is already unsettling the party’s preparations in Oujda ahead of the legislative elections.

Houar submitted his resignation to RNI president Mohamed Chouki through a judicial officer on Wednesday. The document attributed his departure to “personal reasons” but gave no further explanation.

The resignation was followed on Thursday by Houar’s appearance alongside leaders of the Authenticity and Modernity Party at a party meeting in Berkane. According to informed sources, the appearance confirmed his formal move to PAM, known by its nickname, the Tractor.

The developments came after RNI excluded Houar from its candidacy in the Oujda-Angad constituency. The party instead moved to put Mohamed El Qaidi at the head of its list and appointed him regional coordinator in Houar’s place.

The connection between the candidacy decision and Houar’s resignation remains part of circulating information and interpretations. Houar himself did not identify the candidacy as the official reason for leaving RNI. He had been elected the party’s provincial coordinator in Oujda in 2018 and won a parliamentary seat for Oujda-Angad in the 2021 legislative elections.