Morocco’s Main Islamist Party Suffers a Crushing Electoral Defeat

The electoral defeat of Morocco’s ruling party reflects citizens’ frustration with their country’s poor economic situation, as well as a greater shift away from Islamist politics. Significant changes in domestic and foreign policy, however, remain unlikely.  Morocco’s Sept. 8 legislative elections have left the governing Justice and Development Party (PJD) with a total of only 13 of the 395 seats in parliament -- a sharp drop from the 125 seats the party won in 2016. The centrist National Rally of Independents (RNI) came out on top with 102 seats and will replace the PJD as the largest party in parliament, followed by the reformist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the nationalist conservative Istiqlal Party. ...