Morocco: Center-right PAM leads in parliamentary election

In Morocco's recent parliamentary election held on Wednesday, the center-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) secured the top position, according to provisional results. PAM, a member of the country's outgoing ruling coalition, emerged victorious with 97 out of 395 seats in parliament, an increase of 10 seats compared to the 2021 election.

Established in 2008 by a king's advisor, the party promotes social modernization and moderate secularist values, often aligning itself closely with the Moroccan monarchy. With the upcoming 2030 World Cup preparations, the subsequent coalition government is expected to focus on this significant event.

While the PAM's strong performance did not dramatically shift the power dynamics in Morocco, a notable change occurred within the ruling coalition. The National Rally of Independents (RNI), previously the senior partner, experienced a substantial decline, losing 36 seats and now holds 66 seats, placing it second. The smallest member of the governing coalition, the right-wing Istiqlal party, also suffered losses, falling from 103 to 65 seats, a decrease of 16.

On the opposition side, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (JD) made significant gains, jumping to 54 seats, more than triple its 2021 representation of 13. The election saw a surprisingly low voter turnout of 38%, the lowest since 2007. With 16 million people eligible to vote, the turnout was marred by a youth demographic underrepresentation, with only around 4% of registered voters between 18 to 24 years old participating.

The lower turnout is attributed to widespread mistrust in politicians and dissatisfaction with living conditions, including healthcare, education, and economic stability. One 50-year-old voter, Majda Bakatir, expressed her frustration with the political class, stating, "I'm not going to vote because I have lost all faith in the political class.

We want our country to move forward, but politicians do not seem to care about our problems regarding healthcare, education, and purchasing power."