Morocco's PAM Takes Lead in Parliamentary Election as Turnout Falls

Morocco's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has taken first place in the country's parliamentary election, according to preliminary results announced by the Interior Ministry on Thursday.

Voters went to the polls on Wednesday to elect 395 members of the House of Representatives. PAM led the count with 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents with 66 and the Istiqlal Party with 65. The Justice and Development Party secured 54 seats, a sharp rise from the 13 it won in the 2021 elections.

Turnout stood at 38.08%, with close to six million voters casting ballots, down from 50.86% in the previous election. About 15.8 million people were registered to vote. Official data showed that voters aged 18 to 24 made up 4% of the register, while those aged 25 to 34 accounted for roughly 15%.

During the campaign, parties focused on jobs, purchasing power, health care, education and housing.

Speaking after the results, PAM National Coordinator Fatima Zahra El Mansouri addressed relations with Spain, which have returned to the forefront amid recent events in Ceuta, where hundreds of thousands of Moroccans entered the Spanish enclave. She said the two sides must work together to bring "our children back to their homeland."

"Let's not forget that we had an election campaign, and they had one as well. So I am very optimistic about the relationship between Morocco and Spain," she added.

In Rabat, reactions centred on what the next government should deliver. Resident Lahcen El Hajj said the parties that came first deserved their success but must work on health care, housing, unemployment and political disengagement, while rebuilding public trust. "We want our country to develop and to reach the highest possible level," he said.

Another resident, Houssam Eddine Salmi, voiced a single expectation: "For an entire five-year term, we have been given a lot of promises, but none of them have been fulfilled."

After the results were announced, attention at party headquarters and among supporters turned to interpreting the outcome and preparing for the next political stage.