Constitutional Union (Morocco)

The Constitutional Union (Arabic: الاتحاد الدستوري, romanized: al-ittiḥād ad-dustūri; Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴰⵍⵉⵜⵜⵉⴰⴷ ⴰⴷⴷⵓⵔⵜⵓⵔⵉ, romanized: alittiad addusturi; French: Union constitutionelle, UC) is a centre-right political party in Morocco. Founded in 1983 by former Prime Minister Maati Bouabid, the party emerged during a period of political and economic change under Hassan II. It developed as a pro-monarchy, liberal-oriented political organisation and became one of the principal parties associated with the conservative and liberal wing of Morocco's multiparty system. The Constitutional Union achieved its strongest electoral performances shortly after its foundation, winning the largest number of seats in the 1984 parliamentary election and again in the 1993 election. It subsequently experienced a long-term decline in parliamentary representation, although it remained an established parliamentary party. The party has historically maintained close political relations with the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Popular Movement, with which it shared a broadly liberal and monarchist orientation. The UC joined Liberal International as a full member at the organisation's Dakar Congress in 2003. Its traditional electoral symbol is a horse, which has become closely associated with the party in Moroccan political discourse. The party is currently led by Mohamed Joudar, who was elected secretary-general at the sixth national congress in October 2022, succeeding Mohammed Sajid. In the 2021 parliamentary election, the UC won 18 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. In December 2021, its parliamentary group formally joined the parliamentary majority supporting the government led by Aziz Akhannouch, although the party itself did not receive a ministerial portfolio in the Akhannouch government.