The Moroccan Ministry of Interior announced on Wednesday that the voter turnout for the parliamentary elections reached 21% after the first seven hours of voting. According to the statement released by the ministry, the national participation rate in the elections for the House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber of parliament, was recorded at 21% by 3:00 PM GMT, following the commencement of the voting process at 8:00 AM GMT.
Furthermore, the ministry indicated that the voting process across various regions of the kingdom was proceeding under "normal conditions." In the previous parliamentary elections held on September 8, 2021, the final turnout rate was significantly higher at 50.18%.
Voting centers are scheduled to close at 7:00 PM GMT, after which the vote counting will begin, attended by representatives from the various candidate lists. A total of 3,206 observers are monitoring the elections, including 200 foreign officials, ensuring the integrity of the electoral process.
Official data reveals that there are 15,801,162 registered voters in the electoral rolls. The elections feature 28 political parties competing through 1,850 lists, comprising 7,288 candidates, of which 2,658 are women, all vying for 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
The Ministry of Interior is expected to announce the preliminary results of the elections in the early hours of Thursday morning. According to Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, the King appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that secures the majority in the House of Representatives, while the government members are appointed based on the Prime Minister's proposals.
To achieve a majority in the House of Representatives, at least 198 seats are required, which paves the way for consultations to form a government majority following the announcement of results. The incoming government will face numerous political, economic, and social issues, alongside projects related to Morocco's preparations for hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
In the 2021 elections, the "National Rally of Independents" party emerged victorious with 102 seats, followed by the "Authenticity and Modernity" party with 86 seats, and the "Istiqlal" party with 81 seats. The current government is led by Aziz Akhannouch, the leader of the "National Rally of Independents," who heads a coalition government that also includes the "Authenticity and Modernity" and "Istiqlal" parties.
As reported by aa.com.tr.
