Morocco's Brotherhood sustaining humiliating defeat
The Justice and Development Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in Morocco, suffered a severe defeat in the Moroccan parliamentary elections.
The party formed the government in
Morocco in the past ten years.
The Tagammu Party, which is headed
by liberal businessman, Aziz Akhannouch, emerged as a major winner in the
election, having won 97 out of 395 seats.
Brotherhood collapse
The Justice and Development Party is
apparently moving down a slope in Morocco.
The party used to possess 125 seats
in the outgoing parliament. Nonetheless, it succeeded in winning 12 seats only
in the latest election.
The Authenticity and Modernity
Party, which was founded by Fouad Ali El-Himma, an advisor of King Mohammed VI,
came in second position, with 82 seats.
The Independence Party – part of the
opposition bloc in the outgoing parliament – came in third place with 78 seats.
The Socialist Union of Popular
Forces won 35 seats, the Popular Movement 26 seats, and the Progress and
Socialism Party won 20 seats.
The Constitutional Union Party won 18
seats, whereas the Justice and Development Party won 12 seats.
Morocco's remaining parties won the
remaining 12 seats.
New prime minister
King Mohammed VI is expected to name
a new prime minister in the coming days.
The new premier will most likely
come from the Tagammu Party. This premier will form the government that will
manage Morocco's affairs for the next five years.
The new prime minister will succeed Saad-Eddine El Othmani.
Reasons
The Justice and Development Party is
going through a period of gradual downfall. This period has started since
Abdelilah Benkirane failed in forming the government in 2016.
Benkirane rejected the conditions set
out by Akhannouch categorically, opening the door for a political crisis that lasted
for months.
This caused the king to relieved him
and appoint the second-in-command in his party, namely El Othmani, who agreed
to Akhannouch's terms.
