Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party wins parliamentary election, interior ministry says

CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in the country’s parliamentary election, taking 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives, according to final results announced by the Interior Ministry on Friday.

The party, founded by a royal adviser close to King Mohammed VI and known by its French acronym PAM, fell short of an absolute majority and will need to negotiate with other parties to form a governing coalition.

The election was shaped by mounting frustration among young people, high unemployment despite a thriving economy and demands for better schools, hospitals and housing.

It was the first vote since the deadly mass migration attempts to Ceuta in July and the Gen Z-led protests last year.

The next government will oversee billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup, prompting some to describe it as the “World Cup government.” The new political leadership will also face pressure to address everyday concerns, including jobs, wages and the cost of living.

Despite a major drug- and gold-trafficking scandal allegedly involving some senior PAM members, several of whom were sentenced to prison, the party weathered the political fallout and won more seats than in the previous election.

The National Rally of Independents, or RNI, part of the outgoing governing coalition, suffered major losses, winning 66 seats. The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party, or PJD, which won just 13 seats in 2021, surged to 54.

PAM has previously said it will not form a coalition with RNI. It is likely to gather with third-place winner Istiqlal and other parties that won fewer seats to obtain a majority.

A coalition with the PJD is unlikely due to longstanding political rivalry between the two parties. PAM was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a childhood friend of the king. The party emerged as a major political force seen as a counterweight to the Justice and Development Party, which previously led the government for a decade.

The PJD said it would remain in the opposition.

The Moroccan Constitution requires the king to appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in legislative elections.

One possibility for prime minister is Fouzi Lakjaa, president of Morocco’s soccer federation, who recently joined the PAM party and has been buoyed by Morocco’s recent soccer achievements. Lakjaa, 56, who also oversees Morocco’s budget, is a member of the party’s political bureau but not its top official.

Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, 50, mayor of Marrakech and minister of urban planning, is another possibility. If selected, she would be Morocco’s first female prime minister. The party has no single leader and is instead run by a collective leadership, with Mansouri serving as its coordinator.

Six million out of 15.8 million registered voters voted Wednesday in the sixth election since King Mohammed VI ascended to power 27 years ago. Overall participation was 38% — the lowest since 2007.