Moroccan voters hand Islamists big defeat
The Hindu
With nearly all the votes counted, the Interior Ministry said the National Rally of Independents took 97 seats in the lower house of Parliament out of 395.
A Moroccan party run by a billionaire considered close to the monarchy, won the most seats in legislative elections, while the Islamist party that has been in power for a decade suffered a stinging defeat, according to results announced on Thursday. With nearly all the votes counted, the Interior Ministry said the National Rally of Independents (RNI), took 97 seats in the lower house of Parliament out of 395. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which has led the government since 2011, won only 12 seats, down from 125 in the last elections in 2016. Under the country’s constitution, the King appoints the Prime Minister, from the party which wins most seats, who will then proceed to form a government. Overall, the role of lawmakers is limited by the powers of King Mohamed VI, who oversees strategic decision-making.More Related News