Issued on: 09/09/2021
Liberal parties thrashed Morocco's long-ruling Islamists in parliamentary elections, according to provisional results
FADEL SENNA AFP
Rabat (AFP)
Morocco's long-ruling Islamists have suffered a crushing defeat to liberal parties seen as close to the palace in parliamentary elections, according to provisional results announced early Thursday.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) which headed the ruling coalition for a decade saw its support collapse from 125 seats in the outgoing assembly to just 12, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said during a press briefing following Wednesday's polls.
It was far behind its main liberal rivals, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), with 97 and 82, respectively, and the centre-right Istiqlal Party with 78 seats in the 395-seat assembly.
The RNI, which was a junior member of the governing coalition, is headed by billionaire businessman Aziz Akhannouch, described as close to the palace.
And the main opposition PAM was founded by the current royal adviser, Fouad Ali El Himma, in 2008. The Istiqlal (Independence) party is the oldest party in Morocco.
King Mohammed VI will name a prime minister from the party that won the parliamentary poll to govern the nation of 36 million for the next five years, succeeding Saad-Eddine El Othmani.
The final results should be known on Thursday.
Turnout was 50.35 percent, according to the interior minister, higher than the 43 percent turnout at the previous legislative polls in 2016, but lower than the 53 percent during the 2015 local elections.
But this was the first time that Morocco's 18 million voters chose their deputies and municipal and regional representatives on the same day.
On Wednesday evening, the Islamists had raised allegations of "serious irregularities," including "obscene cash handouts" near polling stations and "confusion" on some electoral rolls, with some voters finding they were not listed.
However, the interior minister said voting took place "under normal circumstances" apart from some isolated incidents.
In 2011, Morocco adopted a new constitution devolving many of the monarch's powers to parliament and the government. However, decisions in key areas continue to come from initiatives of King Mohammed VI.
© 2021 AFP
Rabat (AFP)
Morocco's long-ruling Islamists have suffered a crushing defeat to liberal parties seen as close to the palace in parliamentary elections, according to provisional results announced early Thursday.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) which headed the ruling coalition for a decade saw its support collapse from 125 seats in the outgoing assembly to just 12, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit said during a press briefing following Wednesday's polls.
It was far behind its main liberal rivals, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), with 97 and 82, respectively, and the centre-right Istiqlal Party with 78 seats in the 395-seat assembly.
The RNI, which was a junior member of the governing coalition, is headed by billionaire businessman Aziz Akhannouch, described as close to the palace.
And the main opposition PAM was founded by the current royal adviser, Fouad Ali El Himma, in 2008. The Istiqlal (Independence) party is the oldest party in Morocco.
King Mohammed VI will name a prime minister from the party that won the parliamentary poll to govern the nation of 36 million for the next five years, succeeding Saad-Eddine El Othmani.
The final results should be known on Thursday.
Turnout was 50.35 percent, according to the interior minister, higher than the 43 percent turnout at the previous legislative polls in 2016, but lower than the 53 percent during the 2015 local elections.
But this was the first time that Morocco's 18 million voters chose their deputies and municipal and regional representatives on the same day.
On Wednesday evening, the Islamists had raised allegations of "serious irregularities," including "obscene cash handouts" near polling stations and "confusion" on some electoral rolls, with some voters finding they were not listed.
However, the interior minister said voting took place "under normal circumstances" apart from some isolated incidents.
In 2011, Morocco adopted a new constitution devolving many of the monarch's powers to parliament and the government. However, decisions in key areas continue to come from initiatives of King Mohammed VI.
© 2021 AFP
Islamists suffer crushing defeat in Moroccan parliamentary elections
Issued on: 09/09/2021 -
Issued on: 09/09/2021 -
A Moroccan woman cast her ballot on September 8, 2021
in Rabat as Moroccans voted in parliamentary and local elections. © AFP
Text by: NEWS WIRES|
Video by: Fraser JACKSON
Morocco's liberal RNI party has won the most seats in the country's parliamentary elections followed by another liberal party, PAM, while co-ruling moderate PJD Islamists suffered a crushing defeat, preliminary results showed on Thursday.
RNI, led by billionaire agriculture minister Aziz Akhannouch, took 97 of the 395-seat parliament, followed by PAM with 82 seats and the conservative Istiqlal with 78 seats.
The PJD, which had been a coalition partner in the previous two governments had only taken 12 seats after a count of 96% of all parliamentary seats. The results show a massive turnaround in fortunes as the RNI had only won 37 seats at the last election in 2016, while the PJD took 125.
Islamists defeated in Moroccan parliamentary elections
RNI ministers controlled the key economic portfolios of agriculture, finance, trade and tourism in the outgoing government.
Turnout in Wednesday elections improved to 50.3%, up from 43% in 2016, as Morocco held parliamentary and local elections on the same day.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the king holds sweeping powers in the North African country. He picks the prime minister from the party that won the most seats in parliament who will then form a cabinet and submits it for the King's approval.
The Palace has the last say on appointments concerning key departments including the interior, foreign affairs and defence.
New voting rules were expected to make it harder for bigger parties to win as many seats as before, which means the RNI will have to enter into coalition talks to form a government.
The palace also sets the economic agenda and has commissioned a development model country of 37 million people that the new government is being asked to implement.
In a statement on Wednesday, the PJD accused rivals of buying votes, without naming any or providing details.
Despite having been the largest party since 2011, the PJD has failed to stop laws it opposes, including one to bolster the French language in education and another to allow cannabis for medical use.
The PJD will move into the opposition if it does not win elections, Lahcen Daoudi, former PJD minister told reporters.
(REUTERS)
Morocco's liberal RNI party has won the most seats in the country's parliamentary elections followed by another liberal party, PAM, while co-ruling moderate PJD Islamists suffered a crushing defeat, preliminary results showed on Thursday.
RNI, led by billionaire agriculture minister Aziz Akhannouch, took 97 of the 395-seat parliament, followed by PAM with 82 seats and the conservative Istiqlal with 78 seats.
The PJD, which had been a coalition partner in the previous two governments had only taken 12 seats after a count of 96% of all parliamentary seats. The results show a massive turnaround in fortunes as the RNI had only won 37 seats at the last election in 2016, while the PJD took 125.
Islamists defeated in Moroccan parliamentary elections
RNI ministers controlled the key economic portfolios of agriculture, finance, trade and tourism in the outgoing government.
Turnout in Wednesday elections improved to 50.3%, up from 43% in 2016, as Morocco held parliamentary and local elections on the same day.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the king holds sweeping powers in the North African country. He picks the prime minister from the party that won the most seats in parliament who will then form a cabinet and submits it for the King's approval.
The Palace has the last say on appointments concerning key departments including the interior, foreign affairs and defence.
New voting rules were expected to make it harder for bigger parties to win as many seats as before, which means the RNI will have to enter into coalition talks to form a government.
The palace also sets the economic agenda and has commissioned a development model country of 37 million people that the new government is being asked to implement.
In a statement on Wednesday, the PJD accused rivals of buying votes, without naming any or providing details.
Despite having been the largest party since 2011, the PJD has failed to stop laws it opposes, including one to bolster the French language in education and another to allow cannabis for medical use.
The PJD will move into the opposition if it does not win elections, Lahcen Daoudi, former PJD minister told reporters.
(REUTERS)
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