Morocco’s Justice and Development suffers a blow in the elections

People arrive to cast their votes in the parliamentary and municipal elections, at a polling station in Rabat, Morocco on 8 September 2021 [Jalal Morchidi/Anadolu Agency]

Preliminary results following yesterday’s legislative elections in Morocco showed that the Justice and Development Party (PJD), which had led the government coalition, suffered a severe defeat, retaining only 12 of the 125 seats it won in the 2016 elections.

According to results announced by the Minister of Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, early this morning after 96 per cent of the votes were counted, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), headed by businessman Aziz Akhannouch, who is described as close to the palace, was in the lead.

The RNI led the results with 97 out of 395 seats, while the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) came in second place with 82 seats.

The Istiqlal Party came in third place with 78 seats.

PJD Secretary-General, Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani, failed to keep his parliamentary seat for the capital, Rabat. The party, which has headed parliament for a decade, appears no longer to be part of the political sphere.

On Tuesday, the PJD condemned what it referred to as “violations affecting the integrity of the elections” including claims that some parties had paid for votes.

READ: 50% of Moroccans voted in parliamentary elections

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