Morocco's Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit, announced on September 24 that the preliminary results of the legislative elections held on Wednesday showed that the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) was leading with 97 seats. The elections were held across local and regional constituencies, and the PAM was followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 seats, the Independence Party with 65 seats, and the Justice and Development Party with 54 seats.
According to Laftit, the voter turnout at the national level was 38.08%, which is lower than the 50.86% recorded in 2021 and 42.27% in 2016. However, the minister noted that the turnout was higher in the southern regions, with 77% in the Laayoune-Sakia El-Hamra region, 53.48% in the Guelmim-Oued Noun region, and 61% in the Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region. He attributed the lower turnout to various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that many voters were not registered on the electoral lists.
Laftit also highlighted the efforts made by the authorities to ensure the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. He noted that the electoral process was conducted in a normal and peaceful manner, with some isolated incidents that did not affect the overall process. The minister also praised the cooperation between the authorities, political parties, and civil society organizations, which helped to ensure the success of the elections.
The elections saw a total of 28 political parties participating, including one alliance between two parties, with a total of 1,847 lists and 7,277 candidates. The minister noted that the number of female candidates was 2,659, which represents 37% of the total number of candidates. He also highlighted the efforts made to encourage women's participation in politics and to promote their representation in the elected institutions.
Laftit also noted that the electoral process was marked by a significant mobilization of political parties and candidates, with over 21,000 communication initiatives and nearly 1.5 million participants. He highlighted the importance of the media in promoting the electoral process and providing information to voters, noting that the public media provided coverage to all political parties on an equal basis.
The minister also highlighted the efforts made to update and clean up the electoral lists, which now include 15.8 million registered voters. He noted that the authorities had worked to ensure that the electoral process was transparent and fair, with the establishment of an independent commission to oversee the process and ensure its integrity.
The preliminary results of the legislative elections show that the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has emerged as the leading party, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Independence Party. The final results are expected to be announced in the coming days, and the newly elected parliament is expected to be convened shortly.
Key points
- The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) leads in the legislative elections with 97 seats.
- The voter turnout at the national level was 38.08%.
- The elections saw a significant mobilization of political parties and candidates, with over 21,000 communication initiatives and nearly 1.5 million participants.
