Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Rabat – In a tumultuous time for democracy, especially in the region, Morocco appears to have executed a smoothly run election process after a brief but intense campaign.
The country welcomed 70 international observers from 14 NGOs, as well as 4,500 accredited observers. Morrocans came out in numbers that surpassed the three previous elections, as 50.18% of eligible voters cast their ballot. Voter turnout in Morocco’s southern provinces surpassed the national average, with 58.30% in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab, 63.76% in Guelmim-Oued Noun and 66.94% in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra.
From Dakhla to Tangier, citizens have cast their vote, in the first national poll that involves both local and national politics. In a region that has seen four coup attempts in the span of one year, Morocco’s hybrid democracy saw an encouraging get-out-the-vote movement in order to include a growing number of young Moroccans in the democratic process.
With four large parties competing for the top spot, and a variety of smaller parties seeing an opportunity to gain seats, Moroccan parliamentary politics are likely to see a new makeup of government on the national, regional and municipal level.
The national elections, that for the first time coincided with local polls, took place amid tight public health regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the ongoing health crisis campaigns had taken to the streets for engagements with citizens and small gatherings of up to 25 people.
The United States echoed this sentiment in a message by the US embassy on social media platform Twitter. “The United States Embassy congratulates the Kingdom of Morocco on successfully holding general elections today,” the local embassy tweeted. The message added that “our shared commitment to democratic processes strengthens our 200 year partnership.”
