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MOROCCO’S long-ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) has suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections, finishing in eighth place when results were announced today.
The liberal National Rally of Independents topped the poll with 97 seats in the 395-member parliament, while the Authenticity and Modernity Party took 82 seats and the centre-right Istiqlal Party won 78.
But according to the provisional results announced by the Interior Ministry, the PJD won just 12 seats, a collapse from the 125 it held as the majority party in the previous parliament.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party accused its rivals of electoral violations, including vote-buying, although did not provide evidence for its claims.
Morocco’s parliament has only limited power, with King Mohammad VI exercising full control over the executive and judiciary and setting the economic agenda for the country’s 37 million population.
The king selects the prime minister from the ranks of the ruling party and holder of the post is expected to implement a development model commissioned by the monarch.
