PAM wins Morocco’s parliamentary election but falls short of a majority

Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats in the parliamentary election but did not secure an outright majority. The Interior Ministry announced the final results on Friday.

PAM took 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. A majority requires 198 seats, leaving the party dependent on coalition negotiations to form a government.

Under Morocco’s constitution, King Mohammed VI must appoint a prime minister from the party winning the most seats. The Justice and Development Party (PJD), PAM’s longstanding rival, has said it will remain in opposition.

PJD regains part of its strength

The PJD, which led the government for a decade, increased its representation from 13 seats in 2021 to 54. Its rivalry with PAM makes a coalition between the two parties unlikely.

PAM is expected to turn to the monarchist Istiqlal party, which finished third, and other groups. Its senior coalition partner, the National Rally of Independents, fell from 102 seats to 66.

Turnout falls to 38 percent

Only 38% of Morocco’s 15.8 million registered voters cast ballots. That was the second-lowest turnout since Mohammed VI became king in 1999, after 37% in 2007, and well below the roughly 51% recorded in 2021.

Analysts linked the low participation to disengagement after youth-led protests last year over jobs, healthcare and education, as well as deadly mass attempts by migrants to reach Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in July.

Possible prime-ministerial candidates include PAM member Fouzi Lekjaa, head of Morocco’s football federation and budget minister, and Fatima Ezzahra Mansouri, the party’s mayor of Marrakech and minister for national planning, urban planning, housing and urban policy. If selected, Mansouri would become Morocco’s first woman prime minister.

The incoming government will oversee billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to cohost the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.