(AhlulBayt News Agency) - Morocco's Islamic Justice and Development Party (PJD) has emerged as the winner after the country voted for its 10th parliament since independence in 1956, according to official results.
PJD, which has been running a coalition government since 2011, won 125 seats, while the opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) came second, with 102 seats, the interior ministry said on Saturday after all ballots were counted.
The Istiqlal (Independence) Party - the oldest in the country, founded in 1944 - came third by winning 46 seats, following by National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 37 seats, and Popular Movement (MP) with 27.
The results represented a strong message of support for the ruling PJD, despite opposition criticism that the Islamic party had failed to achieve tangible results in its five years of power.
"This is a day of joy and a victory for democracy," Abdelilah Benkirane, PJD secretary-general and outgoing prime minister, told his supporters after the announcement of the results.
"The Moroccan people have rewarded PJD for the work we did in our previous term," he said.
PAM spokesman Khaled Adnoun said he was pleased with the outcome of the election and ruled out any kind of cooperation with PJD.
"We are happy with the results, though we were expecting to grab more seats. However, we did better this time than in 2011," Adnoun said.
"As said before by PAM secretary-general, there will be no cooperation of whatever with PJD."
According to the terms of the 2011 constitution, the prime minister is selected from the party that receives the most votes in the election.
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source : Al Jazeera
Sunday
9 October 2016
11:56:53 AM
784419
Morocco's Islamic Justice and Development Party (PJD) has emerged as the winner after the country voted for its 10th parliament since independence in 1956, according to official results.