(8 Sep 2021) Moroccon political leaders were among those casting their votes on Wednesday, where about 18 million people are expected to choose a new parliament and new local leaders in elections reshaped by the pandemic.
Saad-Eddine El Othmani, Morocco's incumbant prime minister and leader of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), voted in Sale, a neighboring city of Rabat, the capital of the country.
After casting his ballot he told journalists he was "happy" about the turnout so far, with voter participation expected to be one of the "challenges" for the party in these elections.
The moderate PJD, at the helm of the government since 2011, is seeking a third term. With El Othmani, the party has campaigned on raising the competitiveness of Morocco's economy.
But a recent election reform could limits its powers, and the role of lawmakers is limited by the powers of King Mohamed VI, who oversees strategic decision-making.
As voting day approached, competition intensified between the major four parties, which also include the center-left Party of Authenticity and Modernity, or PAM, and the liberal National Rally of Independents.
Nizar Baraka, General-Secretary of the Istiqlal Party (also known as the National Rally of Independents) called people to vote in order "to renew" the politicians in parliament, as well as those in the local and regional councils.
He said he was optimistic that the public would vote "to have a team that is homogenous working for the people to get them out of poverty and stop the deterioration of the middle class".
Candidates are promising to create jobs and boost Morocco's economy, education and health care. The kingdom has been hit hard by the pandemic, but has Africa's highest vaccination rate so far.
The outcome of Wednesday's voting is difficult to predict since opinion polls on elections are banned. The race will likely be close and no matter which party wins the most seats, it will likely need to cobble together a coalition with other parties to form the government.
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