The mayor of Tanger, Mounir El Limouri, has reportedly left Morocco for Spain as a judicial investigation intensifies surrounding irregular ballot papers discovered at a local voting center. According to the arabophone media outlet alyaoum 24, Tanger’s judicial police services have issued a search notice for the mayor amid inquiries into an incident at the Al Qods school voting center in the Kasbarata neighborhood.
The unfolding inquiry centers primarily on polling station no. 84. Protests erupted at the location after authorities discovered a bag containing ballot papers described as falsified, which reportedly bore markings favoring the Parti authenticité et modernité (PAM). A person intercepted inside the polling station while transporting the bag allegedly named four individuals to investigators, including El Limouri. While three individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, El Limouri and his family reportedly traveled to Spain.
Judicial Investigation and Election Monitoring Reports
The legal scrutiny follows an official announcement made by the Tanger parquet on September 23 confirming the opening of a judicial investigation. This action was triggered after law enforcement intercepted an individual possessing a bag of ballots near the Al Qods school. The Conseil national des droits de l’Homme (CNDH) subsequently confirmed two separate incidents at polling stations within the same school during the September 23 legislative elections.
During the national vote, which saw 15,8 millions of registered electors participate and a turnout rate of 38,02 %, the CNDH deployed 783 observers as part of a broader monitoring mission totaling 3.006 domestic and international observers. CNDH President Amina Bouayach noted that the election unfolded globally under normal conditions. However, the council’s formal report detailing the Tanger polling incidents has been forwarded to the parquet to support ongoing investigations. Footage and photographs showing large quantities of marked PAM ballots had previously circulated widely, drawing intense local attention.
Did You Know? The CNDH deployed a total of 3.006 national and international observers to monitor the September 23 legislative elections across the country, where 15,8 millions of registered electors participated.
Political Standing and Institutional Roles
El Limouri holds a prominent position in Tanger politics. Having joined the PAM in 2009, he steadily advanced through party structures to become the provincial secretary for the Tanger-Assilah prefecture. His political influence expanded significantly following the 2021 communal elections. On September 22, 2021, he secured election as president of the Tanger Communal Council through a coalition comprising the PAM, the Rassemblement national des indépendants (RNI), and the Parti de l’Istiqlal (PI).
Ahead of the September 23 legislative elections, El Limouri managed the election campaign for Abdelatif El Ghalbzouri, the top candidate for the PAM list in the Tanger-Assilah constituency. Beyond his partisan duties, his institutional resume includes the presidency of the regional craft chamber and leadership of the Moroccan Association of Communal Council Presidents, an organization representing the Kingdom’s territorial collectivities since 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What triggered the judicial investigation in Tanger?
The investigation opened after authorities intercepted an individual carrying a bag of irregular ballot papers at the Al Qods school voting center during the September 23 legislative elections.
What role does Mounir El Limouri play in this case?
An individual arrested while transporting the contested ballots reportedly named El Limouri among four people connected to the matter. Judicial police have reportedly issued a search notice against him, and sources indicate he has traveled to Spain.
How did election monitors assess the general voting conditions?
The CNDH stated that the national legislative elections occurred globally under normal conditions, though it formally documented incidents at the Al Qods school and transmitted its findings to the parquet.
What steps will the judiciary take next as the search notice and investigations concerning the Tanger voting irregularities progress?
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