Moroccan Ruling Party’s Secretariat General Resigns After Election Defeat

RABAT– The Secretariat General of the Moroccan Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD), resigned collectively yesterday, following its defeat in Wednesday’s general elections.

The PJD, which has been running a coalition government since 2011, said that, this decision was taken, following an extraordinary meeting held to review the election results, which showed the party ranking eighth with 12 seats only in the House of Representatives.

In comparison, the PJD won 125 seats during the 2016 elections.

The PJD secretariat general decided to hold an extraordinary session of the party’s national council on Sept 18, in order to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the election process, it added.

Moroccan Interior Minister, Abdelouafi Laftit announced early yesterday that, the liberal National Rally of Independents won a big victory in the elections on Wednesday, taking 97 of the House’s 395 seats, with 96 percent of votes being counted.

According to the results, the Authenticity and Modernity Party ranked second with 82 seats, while the conservative Istiqlal ranked third with 78 seats.

The Socialist Union of Popular Forces obtained 35 seats, the Popular Movement, 26 seats, and the Party of Progress and Socialism, 20 seats.

Laftit added, the Constitutional Union secured 18 seats, while the rest shared 12 seats.

Turnout in this parliamentary elections was 50.35 percent, the minister said.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK