Morocco’s Football Boss Wins Election as Voters Stay Home

The party of Morocco’s football federation chief won the country’s parliamentary elections, but most voters did not show up. The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), a liberal group in the outgoing government coalition, took 97 of 395 seats in Parliament, Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit announced. The result came nearly nine hours after polls closed. But only 38.08% of registered voters cast ballots — the lowest turnout in 20 years. About six million of Morocco’s 15.8 million registered voters participated. The PAM defeated its coalition partners. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) dropped to second place with 66 seats, and the nationalist Istiqlal party held third with 65 seats. The PAM was founded in 2008 by allies of King Mohammed VI, including his former schoolmate Fouad Ali El Himma. For the past two months, it has also been the party of Fouzi Lekjaa, the budget minister and president of Morocco’s football federation. Analysts expect Lekjaa to play a major role in the new legislature, which will focus on the 2030 World Cup that Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. **A Comeback for Islamists** The biggest surprise was the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which won 54 seats. Five years ago, the PJD collapsed from 125 seats to just 13. That defeat ended a decade of electoral dominance that began after the 2011 protests. The left also celebrated gains, winning eight seats despite its small presence in Moroccan politics. Seats are allocated based on registered voters in each district, not valid votes cast. This system favors fragmentation and makes absolute majorities unlikely. Local analysts say the current coalition — PAM, RNI and Istiqlal — will probably continue, with the liberals holding more power. **Voters Stay Away** Experts who predicted high abstention as a sign of disconnect between politicians and society were correct. Turnout has been low in every election for the past 25 years. The highest abstention rate since King Mohammed VI took the throne was 63% in 2007, followed by 57% in 2016. After official results are published, the king will name a new prime minister from the PAM, the party that finished first. Analysts say Lekjaa is the favorite, though the party has a collective leadership that includes Housing Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri and Youth and Culture Minister Mehdi Bensaid.