Moroccan legislative elections severely punish the ruling Islamist Party

MOROCCO. In the aftermath of the Moroccan legislative elections, which took place on Wednesday 8 September 2021, the situation is terrible for the Justice and Development Party (PJD). In power for ten years, this party now finds itself with only twelve deputies in the House of Representatives, compared to 125 in the previous term.

While for the first time Moroccans were called to the polls to elect their communal, regional and therefore national representatives, the turnout was 50.35% (compared to 43% in the previous legislative).

According to the provisional results announced on Thursday morning, September 9, 2021, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) came first, followed by the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the Istiqlal Party (PI). The first two belong to the liberal trend, the third to the centre-right. They obtained respectively 97, 82 and 78 seats in this assembly which has 395 elected members.
 

This outcome of the polls should satisfy King Mohammed VI. The RNI, now a member of the government coalition, is led by businessman Aziz Akhannouch. Close to the sovereign, the boss of the Akwa holding (60 companies in various fields including the press) is now Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fishing, Rural Development and Water and Forests.
The WFP was founded in August 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma. He resigned as deputy secretary general of this opposition party in December 2011 and is currently an advisor to the King.

The King must now appoint a head of government, obligatorily according to the 2011 constitution from among the members of the RNI, the leading party. With a five-year mandate, the latter must then form his team. Holder of the post since April 5, 2017, Saaddeddine El Othmani will close a decade of power of the PJD.