Party Wins Seats in Morocco Gov't

29/09/2002| IslamWeb

HIGHLIGHTS: Provisional Results Show Socialists Leading with 44 Seats out of 325-Seat Parliament||Official Results Expected Sunday Night||Official Results Expected to be Followed by Period of Uncertainty as Parties Work Together to Piece out Coalition Government|| STORY: An Islamic party that favors introducing Sharia law more than doubled their number of seats in Morocco's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary government figures.

With 41 seats still available, the Justice and Development Party had 37 places in the 325-seat parliament, Interior Minister Driss Jettou said on Moroccan television Saturday. That more than doubled the 14 seats the Islamic group held in the previous parliament.

The socialists of Abderrahmane Youssoufi, prime minister in the last legislature, were leading with 44 seats, Jettou said. The conservative Istiqlal Party had 40. A center-right party also had 37 seats. Other parties divided up remaining places.

Jettou said the numbers were provisional and complete, and that official results were expected not expected until Sunday night.

The Interior Ministry blamed the delay on the large number of polling stations, new procedures aimed at curbing vote fraud and complex calculations being used to distribute seats on the basis of proportional representation.

Twenty-six parties covering the political spectrum contested Friday's election and none were expected to emerge with a majority. The official results were expected to be followed by a period of uncertainty as parties worked to piece together a coalition government.

The advances by the Islamic group, known as the PJD, appeared to confirm signs that Islamic sentiment is growing in this moderate Muslim-Arab country, particularly among the poor and unemployed and those angry at Western support of Israel and policies toward Iraq.

"I think we'll be among the foremost parties," said Abdel Aziz Rabbah, a PJD election spokesman. "We are reorganizing the field of politics."

Mustapha Ramid, a senior party leader, said the PJD would like Islamic sharia law to be applied in Morocco.

"Long-term, we want sharia applied completely," he said.

Rabbah said the party also wants to ban alcohol, phase out the liquor industry and establish Islamic banks. He also said he found it "incredible" that some young Moroccan women wear revealing clothes.

The executive powers held by Morocco's king, Mohammed VI, present an obstacle to any PJD effort to push for sharia. The king appoints the prime minister and controls key ministries: the interior, defense, religious affairs, justice and foreign affairs.

Ramid said the country is not ready for Islamic law yet and Moroccans would need educating before it could be applied.

PHOTO CAPTION

A close up of a ballot paper at the polling station number 165 at the Mohammed VI college in Casablanca during the counting of the votes, late Friday, Sept. 27, 2002. Parties taking part in the elections were represented with drawings to ease the choice for many illiterate voters. This particular paper was annuled because the voter's cross exceeded the drawing's frame. (AP Photo/Jalil Bounhar)
- Sep 28 9:30 AM ET