PJD comes third in Morocco's local, first in regional elections

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Morocco's opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the largest number of votes in local elections with 6,655 seats in local councils, or 21.12 percent, followed by Istiqlal (independence) Party - 5,106 seats, 16.22 percent.
The Justice and Development Party (PJD) came third with 5,021 seats or 15.94 percent.
However, the PJD, the main coalition partner, won 174 seats, the largest number of seats of the regional assemblies, or 25.66 percent, since it led the polls in major cities; PAM came second with 132 seats or 19.47 percent, followed by Istiqlal - 119 seats or 17.55 percent.
The other two coalition partners - National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Popular Movement (MP) won 4,408 seats - 13.99 percent and 3,007 seats - 9.54 percent in the local councils, respectively, Ministry of Interior announced in a statement on Saturday night.
The RNI and the MP came also fourth and fifth in the regional assemblies with 90 and 58 seats, respectively, according to the statement.
The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), which led the government between 1998 and 2002, retreated to the sixth position with 2,656 seats of the local councils.
The USFP got only 48 seats of the regional assemblies or 7.08 percent, thus missing the chance of regaining control it used to have until 2009 over major cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakesh, Agadir and Fez.
The local elections, held yesterday, determine the setup of the next parliament as the regional assemblies elect one third of the Assembly of Councillors, the lower house, while members of the House of Representatives, upper house, are elected through direct polls.
The turnout in the elections hit 53.67 percent of the total of 14.5 million eligible voters, the statement said, noting that the results remain preliminary until the election commission endorses them as per the legal procedures.
Up to 139,000 candidates representing 29 parties, besides independents, contested the 32,000 local council seats and 678 regional seats.
The new constitution of July, 2011, gave these councils extensive autonomous powers and divided the area of the kingdom into 12 regions in the framework of a reform package.