Morocco: Islamist party wins election

Associated Press reported on 8 October 2016 that the Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD) had won most seats in the general election. The party has however not secured a majority and is expected to form a coalition. The king of Morocco has asked Abdelilah Benkirane, the PJD-leader and incumbent prime minister, to stay at his current post. The PJD has been the ruling party since 2011 when it swept to power in elections held in the wake of the Arab Spring demonstrations in Casablanca. Yonas Dembele, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "The victory of the PJD - which some see as a radical and others as a moderate Islamist party - does not come as a surprise. The fact that it won the most parliamentary seats despite facing stiff competition from a party with close links to the royal palace attests to its popularity. Since the PJD has no option but to form a coalition, it is reasonable to expect that the government will not be dominated exclusively by a radical Muslim agenda and will show a degree of moderation. No serious changes are expected for Christians in the country."