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Initial results show ruling Islamist party leads in Moroccan parliamentary elections

Xinhua, October 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Islamist ruling Justice and Development Party (PJD) has won 99 seats in Friday's Moroccan parliamentary elections, according to initial results.

The PJD's main rival, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, got 80 seats, after 90 percent of the ballots were counted, Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad told a press briefing early Saturday.

The Istiqlal party, the oldest party in the country, won 31 seats.

These results concern only local constituencies; some other 90 seats of the national constituency will be announced later Saturday, Hassad said.

The voter turnout at these elections stood at around 43 percent.

Protests in 2011 led to a new constitution and a parliamentary vote was held late that year, which brought Abdelilah Benkirane's PJD to power.

Around 15.7 million Moroccans are registered to vote and over 30 parties took part in the election to win seats in the 395-member Chamber of Representatives, or the lower house of parliament.

Some 4,000 national and international observers were accredited to monitor the parliamentary elections in Morocco. Endit