PJD Wins Morocco’s Parliamentary Elections

Rabat, 08 Oct. - (ANA) – According to preliminary results of Morocco’s legislative elections published by the ministry of interior,The Party of Justice and Development (PJD) is making history by winning for the second time the country’s elections

Preliminary results point to a comfortable victory of the Party of Justice and Development (PJD) with 99 seats.

Based on the first provisional results, the PJD has won 16 seats out of 26 in Casablanca, six seats out of eight in Fez, six seats out of nine in Marrakech, three seats out of four in Salé, two seats out of five in Errachidia, two seats out five in Tangier.

In addition, in what can be considered as plebiscite for the outgoing head of government, Abdelilah Benkirane, the leader of the PJD secured one of the three seats in Salé.

“The elections will have a positive impact on Morocco’s political scene, and will push the leaders of political parties to reconsider the way in which they do politics,” Benkirane said in a short speech to his followers from his party’s headquarters in the capital Rabat.

Morocco will continue on its path of reform in order to be among emerging nations in the future,” he added.

Benkirane said that all members of the party’s political bureau and all its members in the outgoing government have succeeded in securing their seats in the parliament.

The PJD secured 99 seats followed by its rival the PAM (Party of Authenticity and Modernity) with 80 seats, the Istiqlala party with 31 seats, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) 30 seats, the Popular Movement (MP) 21 seats, the Constitutional Union (UC) 16 seats, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP)14 seats, the the Party for Progress and socialism (PPS) 7 seats, the Democratic and Social Movement (MDS) 3 seats, the Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD) 2 seats and two seats for others parties.

Mohamed Hassad, Minister of Interior, congratulated the PJD on winning Morocco’s legislative elections held on Friday across Morocco.

The provisional turnout rate at these elections stood at 43% with 6.752.114 voters taking part. 

Some 15.7 million Moroccans have been registered to vote and some 6.992 candidates competed to win seats in the 395-member House of Representatives (lower house).

Of 395 seats in the chamber, 303 had been decided by early Saturday. The vote was still being tallied for two seats, and the 90 other seats are reserved for women and youth who will be chosen proportionally from the lists of the winning parties. Final results are expected later Saturday.

The results suggest no single party will have a majority, meaning the winner will likely have to form a coalition government.

Benkirane's PJD has dominated parliament since the last legislative elections in 2011, and led a government coalition comprised of several parties with differing ideologies.

To help illiterate voters, each party was represented by a symbol on the ballot as well as its name — a lamp for the PJD, a tractor for the PAM, and other symbols for the other 26 parties. - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 08 October 2016 - - -