Rural Voters Propel PAM to Lead Morocco's Parliament Amid Low Turnout

In Morocco's recent legislative vote, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest parliamentary group, capturing 97 of the 395 seats and assuming the task of naming a successor to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. The National Rally of Independents (RNI), previously the ruling party, suffered a setback, finishing second with 66 seats, just ahead of Istiqlal's 65, a result driven by stronger voter mobilization in the countryside.

Overall turnout fell to its lowest level in twenty years, at 38%, with urban centers like Agadir recording only 19% participation versus 37% across the broader Souss-Massa region. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) regained some ground in urban constituencies. Sociologist Zakaria Kadiri of Hassan-II University in Casablanca explained that the rural-urban disparity was a key factor shaping the outcome.