Morocco: Ruling Coalition Dominates Parliamentary Election Results

• Morocco's ruling coalition dominated recent parliamentary elections, though voter turnout was a low 38% among 16 million registered voters.
• The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) secured 97 of 395 seats, becoming the leading force, while the National Rally of Independents (RNI) came in second with 66 seats.
• The Islamist opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) made a significant comeback, winning 54 seats after a poor showing in 2021.
• No single party achieved an outright majority, necessitating coalition formation, with the next head of government to be appointed by the king from PAM ranks.
• Low turnout and the PJD's resurgence reflect underlying social and economic frustrations, including youth unemployment and calls for better public services, previously highlighted by protests and a migrant crisis.

The subdued voter participation, particularly among younger Moroccans, reflects deeper societal frustrations that have been simmering in the country.

Morocco's ruling coalition secured a dominant position in recent parliamentary elections, with provisional results released on Thursday confirming their strong performance. The vote, held on Wednesday, was notably characterized by a low voter turnout of 38% among the 16 million registered voters, marking the lowest participation rate since 2007. Despite this, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), a key component of the current government, emerged as the leading force, securing 97 out of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives.

The National Rally of Independents (RNI), which currently leads the outgoing coalition, followed with 66 seats. The right-wing Istiqlal party also performed strongly, gaining 65 seats. The Islamist opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) saw a significant resurgence, capturing 54 seats after winning only 13 in the previous 2021 election. This outcome means that no single party achieved an outright majority, necessitating coalition negotiations to form the next government.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, the national coordinator for the PAM, expressed satisfaction with the results, stating that the party celebrated the "valuable trust citizens have placed in us, a trust born of 18 years of relentless struggle." She indicated that while the PAM had not yet initiated coalition discussions, it was open to working with any party. The next head of government will be appointed by the king from the ranks of the PAM. Potential candidates for this role include Fouzi Lekjaa, the current budget minister and head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, and El Mansouri herself, who also serves as the territorial planning minister and mayor of Marrakesh. El Mansouri remarked that becoming Morocco's first woman prime minister would be a "great honour."

The subdued voter participation, particularly among younger Moroccans, reflects deeper societal frustrations that have been simmering in the country. This low turnout is the lowest recorded since 2007, when it stood at 36.8%. The election took place approximately a year after a Gen Z protest movement took to the streets, advocating for improved healthcare and education services. These protests, which saw young demonstrators directly appealing to King Mohammed VI, frequently featured chants like, "We want hospitals, not just stadiums," highlighting public discontent over resource allocation.

These sentiments were further exacerbated by the crisis in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta weeks prior to the election, where tens of thousands of predominantly young Moroccan migrants attempted to cross the border. This incident starkly underscored the economic and social challenges faced by young people in Morocco, despite the nation's recorded economic growth and significant investments in infrastructure projects, such as those related to co-hosting the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The outgoing government, led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch of the RNI, faced calls for his resignation during last year's protests, indicating a broader dissatisfaction with its performance on key public services.

A notable development in the election was the significant comeback of the Islamist opposition's Justice and Development Party (PJD), which secured 54 seats. This marks a substantial increase from the mere 13 seats it won in 2021. The PJD's campaign strategy heavily emphasized combating corruption and bringing morality back into political life, resonating with a segment of the electorate disillusioned with the status quo.

Abdelilah Benkirane, the PJD leader and former Prime Minister, declared the results a "victory" for his party. However, he firmly ruled out any possibility of joining a PAM-led coalition, alleging that the PAM was "tainted by fraud," though he did not provide specific details to support this claim. Political scientist Mohamed Tozy interpreted the PJD's resurgence as a "sanction vote" against the incumbent government, suggesting voters used their ballots to express disapproval. The PJD had been a vocal critic of the outgoing administration's handling of issues such as purchasing power, youth unemployment, and the quality of public services, including healthcare, which were also central to the Gen Z protests and the Ceuta migration crisis.

With no single party achieving an outright majority, the Authenticity and Modernity Party faces the immediate task of forming a governing coalition. The PAM has outlined ambitious goals for its potential five-year term, including pledges for an average annual economic growth of 5%, maintaining inflation at 2%, and creating at least 1 million new jobs. The party itself was established in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a current royal adviser, with the explicit aim of serving as a counterweight to the Islamist political movement.

The political landscape is thus set for complex negotiations, balancing the aspirations of the dominant parties with the underlying public discontent highlighted by low turnout and protest movements. The king's ultimate role in appointing the next head of government from the leading party's ranks adds another layer to the post-election process, as Morocco navigates its economic development alongside persistent social and political challenges.

Source: Original reporting via Associated Press and Agence France-Presse