MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Morocco’s ruling Justice and Development Party (JDP), advocating Islamic democracy and Islamism, gained the majority of votes in the parliamentary elections, local media reported Saturday.
The voting procedure to elect members of the House of Representatives, Morocco's lower house of parliament, was held on Friday.
Morocco: Islamist PJD party wins new mandate in elections https://t.co/y0WKlWBd7X #news #World pic.twitter.com/saj04tg17L
— Indian 24 News (@indian24news) 8 октября 2016 г.
The ruling Islamist party won 99 seats, while the other frontrunner — the liberal opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party — took 80 seats, according to the results issued after over 90 percent of the votes were counted, the Middle East Eye online news organization said.
Thus, the ruling party retained its leading position and will be able to head the coalition government.
Morocco's ruling Justice and Development Party secures second term by winning 125 seats in the electionshttps://t.co/Uh197366I6
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) 8 октября 2016 г.
The elections were held in Morocco for the second time since the 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations.
Morocco is a constitutional monarchy adhering to a dualistic system, where the power of the monarch is predominant. The monarch has the right to appoint the prime minister and to remove him from the office, as well as to dissolve the parliament.