The North Africa Journal: With an Islamist Electoral Victory, Morocco Forced to Adopt Political Cohabitation 

With an Islamist Electoral Victory, Morocco Forced to Adopt Political
Cohabitation
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Arezki Daoud on 25 November, 2011 12:35:00
 
Despite being considered a moderate Islamist organization, the PJD has long been
chastised and vilified for not fully toeing the line to the Monarchy. And now
with its rise into governance, the PJD in some sense is forming a soft challenge
to the long-established power of those surrounding the Palace. How will this
challenge take form remains to be seen, but pledges to combat corruption
indicate that the PJD could end up clashing with many among the power elite.
The rise of the Islamists means that even though the Moroccan Revolution never
took place as it did in Tunisia,  Libya, Egypt and now in Yemen and Syria, the
pro-democracy movement still managed to pave the way for the start of pluralism
in governance.
In the short term, the PJD’s victory will enable it to form a coalition
government. Early official results announced by Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui
based on more than two-thirds of the Constituency showed the PJD winning 80
seats of the Friday vote. The final results for the 395 Members of the House
will be announced Sunday.
The PJD, which until now was the leading opposition party with 47 seats, has
announced its readiness to open negotiations with other political parties to
form a coalition government. Such stance was confirmed by the party leader
Abdelilah Benkirane to a number of news agencies.
The secular parties managed weaker performances, with the old Istiqlal party of
Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi gaining just about 45 seats. The National Rally of
Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (WFP), two liberal
formations linked to the Monarchy, won respectively 38 and 33 seats.
The success of the PJD comes five months after a constitutional reform process
agreed by King Mohamed VI was officially launched. The new constitution states
that the head of government is chosen among the party that comes out ahead in
the elections.
For the PJD the victory is a vindication that it had deep roots into the
Moroccan population and that contrary to what its opponents say, it has the eyes
and ears of the poor and working classes. But moving from opposition to the
driving seat of governance will not be an easy task. It is indeed easier to
complain about policy when one is in opposition than to lead the country as the
leading party. The next government will be faced with massive challenges. The
social climate is characterized by an unemployment rate estimated at nearly 30%
among young people. And the country’s traditional economic partner Europe is
also suffering from its own ills, with impact on the economy proper. The
pro-democracy movement of 20 February, which includes some of the
disenfranchised youth, had called for a boycott of the vote, along with three
other leftist parties.