The war of accusations has resumed with a vengeance within the Rabat City Council. This time, it is the PJD councillor Abdeslam Ballaji who is in the line of fire. He is accused by his political opponents from the PAM of having concluded partnership agreements with civil society associations by granting them funds without the approval of the City Council. He is accused of having intervened to recruit his son into the local development company "Rabat Parking". Faced with these accusations launched by the president of the Hassan district council, Driss Razi (PAM), the PJD councillor denies everything: "I have never affixed my signature to the lists of beneficiary associations of subsidies and I challenge anyone to prove that these lists bear my signature," he pointed out, in a press briefing last Friday. He wished to specify that these lists had rather been signed by the president of the City Council. Regarding the recruitment of his son by "Rabat Parking", Abdeslam Ballaji affirmed that he joined the company after passing the competitive examination and the admission interview. In this tense climate, Mr. Ballaji, the head of the PJD group within the Rabat City Council, risks being removed from his position as councillor. The Council bureau has, in fact, included this point on the agenda of its session which was to take place yesterday (Monday). To remove this point from the agenda, legal action was filed with the summary judge of the administrative court. But the court declared itself, last Friday, incompetent to rule. On this register, the PJD member Reda Benkheldoun (president of the Agdal-Ryad district) was very clear in specifying that the inclusion of the dismissal on the agenda of the session was carried out in flagrant violation of the provisions of the municipal charter and the internal regulations of the City Council. According to him, the Council bureau met before the date set by law. As a result, the PJD councillors who are members of the bureau were not present. "The bureau met in the presence of the president and his two vice-presidents as well as councillors who are not members," hammered Reda Benkheldoun, adding that the removal of a councillor is a decision that rests exclusively with the president.

In this sense, Mr. Benkheldoun held Fathallah Oulalou, president of the Council, responsible for this violation of the law. Moreover, Abdeslam Ballaji said he was astonished by the attitude of the mayor who "changed his position overnight". The latter was in principle supposed to send a letter to Abdeslam Ballaji so that the latter could explain himself regarding the accusations brought against him, which was not done. Ultimately, Reda Benkheldoun and Abdeslam Ballaji are categorical regarding the absence of any legal basis for both the accusations launched against the PJD councillor and the inclusion of his dismissal on the agenda of the Council session.

Premonitions of an electoral battle. At the present time, the political tug-of-war has reached its peak at the City Council level, especially since the 2015 municipal elections are on everyone's mind. This open feud between councillors is only one of the premonitions of the electoral battle that promises to be heated. Moreover, the case of Abdeslam Ballaji is far from isolated. In any case, the PJD promises a strong response to the attacks of its political opponents. "The manoeuvres in which our opponents are engaging force us to engage in a battle of another kind, that of opening certain thorny files," as Reda Benkheldoun hinted.