National Rally of Independents

{{Short description|Political party in Morocco}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox political party

| name = National Rally of Independents

| native_name = {{langx|ar|التجمع الوطني للأحرار‎}}
{{nowrap|{{langx|fr|Rassemblement National des Indépendants}}}}
{{langx|zgh|ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵡ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵢ ⵉⵏⵙⵉⵎⴰⵏⵏ}}

| native_name_lang = zgh

| logo = Logo of the National Rally of Independents.svg

| founder = Ahmed Osman

| leader =

| president = Aziz Akhannouch

| chairperson =

| spokesperson =

| leader1_name =

| leader2_name =

| leader3_name =

| foundation = {{Start date|1978|11|28|df=yes}}

| headquarters = Rabat

| ideology = Liberalism{{cite book |last1=Cavatorta |first1=Francesco |last2=Storm |first2=Lise |last3=Resta |first3=Valeria |title=Routledge Handbook on Political Parties in the Middle East and North Africa |date=2020 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=9781000293302 |page=103 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6uYLEAAAQBAJ}}
Classical liberalism{{cite web |title=حزب التجمع الوطني للأحرار |url=https://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/c00c0e3d-0c0e-44d6-ad49-1e46569931c2 |publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=10 October 2014 |archive-date=18 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140418034859/https://www.aljazeera.net/news/pages/c00c0e3d-0c0e-44d6-ad49-1e46569931c2 |date=6 September 2007}}
Monarchism
Historical:
Planned liberalism (''1978–1979)Jeune Afrique – Numbers 860–873, 1977, p. 30

| membership_year =

| position = {{Nowrap|Centre{{Cite web|title=Aziz Akhannouch, the billionaire ally of Morocco's Mohammed VI|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/morocco-aziz-akhannouch-billionaire-service-his-majesty-mohammed-vi|access-date=2021-10-04|date=2021-09-15|last=Bouanani|first=Rachid|website=Middle East Eye|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/moroccos-governing-islamists-remain-vulnerable|title=Morocco's Governing Islamists Remain Vulnerable|website=The Washington Institute|date=2013-09-10|last=Sakthivel|first=Vish}} to centre-right{{cite news|title=Moderate Islamist Party Winning Morocco Election|author1=Souad Mekhennet |author2=Maia de la Baume|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/world/africa/moderate-islamist-party-winning-morocco-election.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=26 November 2011|access-date=25 November 2011}}{{cite news |title=Socialists set to win Morocco poll|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2286933.stm|publisher=BBC News|date=30 September 2002|access-date=25 November 2011}}}}

| international = Liberal International (observer)

| european = European People's Party

| regional = Africa Liberal Network

| colours = {{color box|{{party color|National Rally of Independents}}|border=darkgray}} Sky blue

| colorcode = {{party color|National Rally of Independents}}

| seats1_title = House of Representatives

| seats1 = {{Composition bar|102|395|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

| website = {{URL|http://www.rni.ma}}

| footnotes =

| country = Morocco

| seats2 = {{Composition bar|27|120|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

| seats2_title = House of Councillors

| seats3_title = Pan-African Parliament

| seats3 = {{Composition bar|1|5|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}} (Morocco seats)

}}

The National Rally of Independents ({{langx|ar|التجمع الوطني للأحرار}}; {{langx|fr|Rassemblement National des Indépendants}}; {{langx|zgh|ⴰⴳⵔⴰⵡ ⴰⵏⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵢ ⵉⵏⵙⵉⵎⴰⵏⵏ}}), is a political party in Morocco. Despite self-identifying as social-democratic, the party has been described as pro-business and liberal, and the party has a history of cooperating with two other parties with a liberal orientation, the Popular Movement and the Constitutional Union, since 1993. Since September 2021, it has been the country's ruling party.

History and profile

The party was founded in 1978{{cite web|title=Moroccan Political Parties|url=http://www.riadreviews.com/resources/moroccan-politics-and-government/moroccan-political-parties.html|work=Riad Reviews|access-date=10 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016123410/http://www.riadreviews.com/resources/moroccan-politics-and-government/moroccan-political-parties.html|archive-date=16 October 2014|url-status=dead}} by Prime Minister Ahmed Osman, brother-in-law of King Hassan II.

The establishment united independent politicians favoured by the palace and used by the administration to counter the parties that were critical of the king and his government. Later, it became an ordinary party without a special role in Morocco's multi-party system. It was succeeded by the Constitutional Union as the palace's favourite party.{{Citation|author=Bernabé López García|title=Morocco: regime and fuse|work=Political Regimes in the Arab World: Society and the Exercise of Power |publisher=Routledge|year=2013|page=102}}

In the parliamentary election held on 27 September 2002, the party won 41 out of 325 seats. In the next parliamentary election, held on 7 September 2007, the RNI won 39 out of 325 seats.[http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/09/10/africa/AF-GEN-Morocco-Elections.php "Moroccans favor conservative party instead of ushering in Islamic party"], Associated Press, 9 September 2007. The RNI was included in the government of Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, formed on 15 October 2007.[http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/maroc/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=AFP25407leroiselici0 "Le roi nomme un nouveau gouvernement après des tractations difficiles"], AFP, 15 October 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.

After the 2016 parliamentary election, billionaire businessman Aziz Akhannouch was elected party president.{{Cite web|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/morocco-aziz-akhannouch-billionaire-service-his-majesty-mohammed-vi|title=Aziz Akhannouch, the billionaire ally of Morocco's Mohammed VI|website=Middle East Eye}} He undertook a major image revamp for the party, establishing party youth, women's, and student wings, and created a large social media presence for the RNI, spending US$211,000 on Facebook and Instagram ads.{{Cite web|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/09/344343/rni-sweeps-2021-national-elections-as-pjd-support-disintegrates|title=RNI Sweeps 2021 National Elections as PJD Support Disintegrates|first1=Khouloud|last1=Haskouri|first2=Jasper|last2=Hamann|date=2021-09-21|website=Morocco World News}} Akhannouch also launched the "100 Villes, 100 Jours" (100 Cities, 100 Days) party initiative in which RNI officials and supporters travelled to 100 cities in Morocco, particularly medium and small-sized cities, in 100 days to have their citizens insert proposals for their cities.{{Cite web|url=https://new.in-24.com/News/74972.html|title=the RNI presents the results of its "100 cities, 100 days" program|date=9 July 2021|website=New in 24 English}}

In the 2021 general election, the RNI placed first, winning 102 seats amid a crushing defeat for the ruling Justice and Development Party.{{Cite web|agency=Reuters|date=2021-09-09|title=Morocco elections: Islamists suffer losses as liberal parties gain ground|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/09/islamists-suffer-losses-as-liberal-parties-gain-ground-in-morocco-elections|access-date=2021-09-12|website=the Guardian|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=Islamists suffer crushing defeat in Moroccan parliamentary elections |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210909-islamists-suffer-crushing-defeat-in-moroccan-parliamentary-elections |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=France 24 |language=en}} Akhannouch was then designated Prime Minister by Mohammed VI.

Electoral results

= Moroccan Parliament =

class="wikitable"

| colspan="7" |House of Representatives

Election year

!# of

overall votes

! % of

overall vote

!# of

overall seats won

!+/–

!Leader

1984

|763,395 (#2)

|17.18

|{{Composition bar|61|301|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{increase}} 61}}

|{{center|Ahmed Osman}}

1993

|824,117 (#1)

|13.24

|{{Composition bar|41|301|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{decrease}} 19}}

|{{center|Ahmed Osman}}

1997

|705,397 (#3)

|11.07

|{{Composition bar|46|325|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{increase}} 5}}

|{{center|Ahmed Osman}}

2002

|561,514 (#4)

|9.28

|{{Composition bar|41|325|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{decrease}} 5}}

|{{center|Ahmed Osman}}

2007

|429,053 (#3)

|10.50

|{{Composition bar|39|325|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{decrease}} 2}}

|{{center|Ahmed Osman}}

2011

|537,552 (#3)

|11.33

|{{Composition bar|52|395|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{increase}} 13}}

|{{center|Salaheddine Mezouar}}

2016

|558,875 (#4)

|9.65

|{{Composition bar|37|395|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{decrease}} 15}}

|{{center|Salaheddine Mezouar}}

2021

|2,088,548 (#1)

|27.58

|{{Composition bar|102|395|hex={{party color|National Rally of Independents}}}}

|{{center|{{increase}} 65}}

|{{center|Aziz Akhannouch}}

Prominent members

References