RABAT, Morocco (AFP)
Voter turnout in the first legislative election since the king introduced constitutional reforms after the Arab Spring uprising was 45 percent, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui said Friday.
That compares to a turnout of 37 percent in the last election in 2007 but is lower than the 51.6 percent turnout recorded in 2002.
Analysts said a high voter turnout would give credibility to the reform of the constitution approved in a July referendum which gives parliament and the prime minister more powers. The constitutional changes obligate King Mohammed VI to choose the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliament, rather than a wild-card candidate of his choice. The prime minister also now has the power to dismiss parliament. Morocco’s pro-reform February 20 protest movement, which has been trying to emulate Arab Spring uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, called on citizens to boycott the elections. It says the constitutional reforms are insufficient. Throughout the day commercials broadcast on television urged Moroccans to “carry out their national duty” by voting while newscasts repeatedly explained how people could find out where their polling station is located.
