Islamist PJD party wins new mandate in Moroccan elections

Worries about youth joblessness, high debt and Islamic extremism were on many voters’ minds. The results are being closely watched by Morocco’s neighbours, who see it as a model of relative stability and prosperity in the region, and are important for Morocco’s allies in the West, who have investment deals with the North African nation and share intelligence in fighting the Islamic State group.

With high unemployment and relatively low literacy, Morocco has been fertile recruiting ground for extremists. As many as 1,000 Moroccans have joined the ranks of IS in Iraq and Syria, and earlier this week authorities dismantled a cell of women linked to IS allegedly plotting an attack on election day.

Benkirane’s PJD has dominated parliament since the last legislative elections in 2011, and led a government coalition composed of several parties with differing ideologies.

PJD voter Khalid Lamlagh, a 34-year-old tour guide, summed up many voters’ views: “There is no other party that is better than them,” he said, but added, “we hope that they will do much better than the last five years.”

The palace pledged to loosen control over Moroccan politics after Arab Spring protests five years ago, but still retains control over major policy decisions — prompting many Moroccans to ignore the elections. Turnout was slightly lower than in the past national elections in 2011, at 43 per cent.

Ninety of the chamber’s seats were reserved for women and youth chosen proportionally from the lists of the winning parties.

Reports and videos surfaced online about alleged voting violations, including ballot stuffing, votes cast under the names of dead people, and authorities blocking a road to a voting site. The Interior Ministry issued statements denying most of the claimed irregularities, but said it was investigating others. Some 4,000 Moroccan and international observers were monitoring the elections.

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Andy Drake and Nadine Achaoui-Lesage in Rabat contributed to this report.

Samia Errazzouki, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Islamist PJD party wins new mandate in Moroccan elections

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