The Islamic party that remained at the head of his government Morocco over the past decade has suffered real devastation from liberal parties considered close to the royal palace in the parliamentary elections held yesterday Wednesday, according to the still provisional results announced in the early hours of today.
The Justice and Development Party (moderate Islamists) collapsed, seeing its 125 seats in parliament fall to 12, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit told a news conference.
He lagged far behind his main rivals, the National Alarm of Independence, the Party of Authenticity and Modernization, which is considered to have a liberal tendency, and the Istiqlal Party (“Independence”, center-right), which occupied 97, respectively. 82 and 78 seats (out of a total of 395 in parliament).
The National Alarm of the Independents, which is part of the governing alliance, is led by a wealthy businessman, Aziz Ahanous, who is considered close to the palace.
The Party of Authenticity and Modernization, the main opposition force, was founded by Fuad Ali El Hima, the current royal adviser, in 2008, before resigning in 2011.
The center-right Istiqlal is the oldest party in Morocco.
King Mohammed VI will appoint the new caretaker Prime Minister, the party leader who will be the first, to form a government and – in theory – to run for five years, succeeding Saad Eddin El Othmani.
The final results are expected to be announced today.
Morocco: More than 50% turnout
Voter turnout rose to 50.35%, according to the interior ministry. It was 43% in the previous parliamentary elections in 2016, and 53% in the most recent local elections in 2015.
But it was the first time that some 18 million Moroccan voters had been called in on the same day to nominate the 395 members of parliament, their community councils and governors, which proved to be a reduction in abstention.
Earlier in the day, Islamists spoke of “very serious irregularities”, including “vulgar distribution of money” at polling stations and “confusion” on voter lists in some areas, with voters unable to find their names.
But the interior minister assured that the process took place “under normal circumstances”, apart from “individual cases”.
In 2011 Morocco, a constitutional monarchy, adopted a new constitution that gave important powers to parliament and government. However, decisions and directions in key areas and issues continue to be made in the palace.
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