Saadeddine Othmani was appointed as Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI and formed his cabinet on 5 April 2017, including the PJD, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Popular Movement (MP), the Constitutional Union (UC), the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP).
The 395 seats in the House of Representatives are elected by proportional representation in two tiers: 305 seats are elected from 92 multi-member constituencies, with the electoral threshold set at 6%, and the remaining 90 seats are elected from a single nationwide constituency with the electoral threshold set at 3%. The nationwide seats are reserved, with 60 for women and 30 for people under the age of 40.[8]
Under the electoral system no party can win a majority in the parliament, and parties must form a coalition government.[4]
Results
The vote had 43% turnout.[3][9] The Justice and Development Party won the most votes and 125 out of the 395 seats. The Authenticity and Modernity Party won 102 seats, and the rest of the seats were split among smaller parties.
Morocco's election observer body said that the voting was largely free and fair. It reported some cases of vote-buying, but said that they were rare and sporadic. It also expressed concern about the relatively low (43%) turnout.[3] Critics also alleged that the royal establishment used its influence to favour the pro-monarchy PAM.[4]
Aftermath
Following the elections, Khalid Adnoun, a spokesman for the second-placed Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), ruled out joining a coalition government, forcing the PJD to partner with multiple smaller parties in order to secure a majority.[4] On 10 October, Abdelillah Benkirane was reappointed Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI in accordance with the 2011 constitutional reforms which required the king to appoint a prime minister from the party receiving the most votes.[10] However, after Aziz Akhannouch was elected leader of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), he called for the new coalition to include the Constitutional Union (UC) and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP). This was rejected by Benkirane, leading to a political deadlock as a government was unable to be formed.[11][12]
On 15 March 2017, Benkirane was dismissed by King Mohammed VI,[13] who two days later appointed Saadeddine Othmani in his place to form a government.[14] On 25 March, Othmani announced that the new coalition would consist of the PJD, RNI, UC, USFP, Popular Movement and Party of Progress and Socialism.[15] The members of the cabinet were announced by the King on 5 April, with some key portfolios going to technocrats.[16]
^The report: Morocco 2009, Oxford Business Group, p19
^Michael J. Willis (2012) Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring, C. Hurst & Co, pp149–150