King Mohammed VI of Morocco received on Monday Abdelilah Benkirane, Head of the moderate Islamist Party of Justice & Development (PJD), and appointed him Head of Government following the party’s victory in last week’s parliamentary elections. The Moroccan Sovereign also entrusted Mr. Benkirane with the task of forming a new government as stipulated by the 2011 Constitution. In last Friday’s polls, PJD won 125 out of the 395-seats of the Parliament, ahead of its rival Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) which gained 102 seats. With the 125 seats it won in Friday’s vote, the PJD did not secure absolute majority – 198 seats – and therefore must forge a coalition with other parties. Washington, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon…have congratulated Morocco for the success of the democratic polls and expressed strong backing to the democratic process unfolding in the country under the stewardship of King Mohammed VI.

Source: The North Africa Journal October 11, 2016 14:26 UTC