With Morocco’s legislative elections just days away, Istiqlal Party leader Nizar Baraka traveled to Tangier on Thursday to launch the final stretch of his campaign, presenting what he called the cornerstone of his party’s platform: a program named « Al-Mizan, » Arabic for « the Balance. »
Speaking before a large crowd of party members and supporters in the northern port city, Baraka pledged that protecting household purchasing power would be his government’s top priority if Istiqlal wins seats in the September 23 vote. The party chief was flanked by local candidates, including Mohamed El Hammami and Idriss Saouar El Mansouri, who are heading Istiqlal’s lists in the Tangier-Assilah and Fahs-Anjra districts, alongside Abdeljabbar Errachidi, president of the party’s National Council.
Baraka opened his address by praising Tangier’s recent transformation, citing the port, the city’s industrial base and the infrastructure built for the 2030 World Cup as major achievements. Yet he argued the next phase must shift focus from infrastructure to people, ensuring these investments translate into real improvements in citizens’ daily lives and spending power.
Central to the « Al-Mizan » platform are proposed wage increases and income tax cuts, framed as direct responses to persistently rising food prices. Baraka also outlined plans to secure water resources, expand irrigated farmland, prioritize the domestic market, and establish regional agencies to distribute essential goods, alongside stricter oversight of profit margins on fuel and staple products.
On social policy, the Istiqlal leader promised to expand the public healthcare workforce, create a dedicated emergency-care agency, and rein in tuition increases at private schools, while continuing to prioritize the quality of public education.
The platform also includes an economic component: a proposed law targeting conflicts of interest, regional preference in public procurement to protect small and medium-sized businesses, and a push to strengthen Morocco’s industrial, food, pharmaceutical and technological sovereignty, reducing the country’s exposure to volatile global markets.
Baraka closed his Tangier rally by urging voters across the region to turn out in force on September 23 and cast their ballots for the balance symbol, summarizing his party’s pitch in a single slogan: « My country, my future. »
