PAM takes 97 seats as Morocco's palace-aligned party finishes first
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit announced provisional results on Thursday from Wednesday's parliamentary vote. The Authenticity and Modernity Party took 97 of 395 seats, ahead of the National Rally of Independents on 66 and Istiqlal on 65, while the Justice and Development Party rose to 54. Turnout was 38.02 percent. Deutsche Welle reported the same first-place finish and said King Mohammed VI still appoints the prime minister and keeps defence and foreign affairs.
Geopolitics··Evening
Laftit reads out a palace-aligned first place
Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit announced provisional results on Thursday from Wednesday's vote for the 395-seat House of Representatives. Al Jazeera reported that the Authenticity and Modernity Party, aligned with the palace, took 97 seats. The National Rally of Independents followed with 66, Istiqlal with 65, and the Justice and Development Party with 54. Turnout was 38.02 percent. Deutsche Welle reported the same provisional first place and said PAM gained 10 seats on its 2021 result. It put the National Rally of Independents' drop from 102 seats to 66, and Istiqlal's loss of 16 seats from 2021, at 65. Both accounts describe a count that is still provisional.[1], [2]
The palace still names the prime minister
Al Jazeera noted that under the 2011 constitution King Mohammed VI appoints the prime minister from the largest party, while defence and foreign affairs stay with the palace. The Justice and Development Party, which won 13 seats in 2021, rose to 54 in this count. Deutsche Welle described PAM as a party founded in 2008 by an adviser to the king, widely seen as close to the monarchy, and said the vote is not expected to change the balance of power in the semi-constitutional kingdom. The king retains substantial powers over policy direction and foreign affairs.[1], [2]
PAM rules out another RNI partnership
Al Jazeera reported that PAM said it ruled out another partnership with the National Rally of Independents, the party that led the outgoing coalition and finished second in this provisional count. The first-place finish therefore opens a coalition question rather than a transfer of the palace's reserved powers. Deutsche Welle's account of the seat losses lands on the same coalition arithmetic. The two partners that governed with PAM both lost seats, and the Islamist Justice and Development Party is the party that gained the most ground among the names both outlets list. Deutsche Welle also said the party was founded in 2008 by an adviser to the king. Neither report says a government has been formed.[1], [2]
