1546 electoral lists vie for 395 parliament seats in Morocco

Morocco's elections are set for November 25 and have seen massive participation Moroccan authorities announced that the final number of electoral lists in the local constituencies reached 1546, competing  forover 395 parliamentary seats in the whole country. The total number of electoral lists in the national constituencies reached 19, while two lists have been registered for independent candidates, all in preparation for the legislative elections scheduled for November 25.
The Moroccan Interior Ministry said in a statement received by 'Arabstoday' that the final numbers will be announced after the deadline to hand over the final register for the submitted electoral lists, and after the courts render a decision on the appeals of the electoral lists that have been rejected.
The statement noted that the process of submitting lists saw 1546 electoral lists in local constituencies included 5392 male and female candidates, with an average of 17 candidates for each local constituency. The lists for the national constituencies reached a total of 19 lists include 1710 candidates; 1140 of them female and 570 male.
Concerning the electoral lists for independent candidates who did not belong to any political party, the interior ministry stated that two local lists were registered in the local constituencies of Mdiq- Fnideq and Ain Sebaa- Hay Mohammadi. Local female participation was at 484 candidate, by nearly 9 per cent, while the first rank in 64 local lists was assigned to women who belonged to different political parties.
Political parties have covered the local constituencies, as eight parties were able to submit electoral lists in more than 80 local constituencies, and while six political parties covered between 49 and 79 constituencies, the other 17 parties have submitted electoral lists for less than half the number of local constituencies.
The electoral lists registered as final, in order of submission, are: Independence party, the Democratic Forces Front party, the Social Democratic movement, Progress and Socialism party, Justice and Development party, Authenticity and Modernity Party, the People's Movement party, Constitutional Union party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, the Socialist party, the party of the Covenant Democratic Labor Party, National Congress Party, Federal Party, the Labor party, the Environment and Sustainable Development party , the National Rally of Independents party, the Moderate Social Party, Moroccan Liberal Party and the Green Left Moroccan Party.
The pace of the electoral campaigns has heightened in the south provinces of Morocco. The high level of competition between the lists was noted by 'Arabstoday' while sources confirmed that no violence had been reported yet.
Al Ayoun was distinguished by a electoral list containing all women, numbering at three candidates. This is a first in Morocco's political history, with the female candidates belonging to the Democratic Forces Front. A similar event occured in the province of Rhamna, which had been dominated in the past by the "lofty King's party", as mocked by Moroccans.
Voters believed that "the legislative elections are always a great moment for the mobilization of citizens, reflecting the sacred values of the country, and their determination to enrich the democratic process which the kingdom is involved in."
According to many observers, the interest by the people of the south at the polling centers and their enthusiasm during the campaigns reflected the dynamics of the political scene in this part of the Kingdom of Morocco.
All the Moroccan parties are betting to obtain the largest number of votes in the November 25 election. Twenty-one electoral lists have been submitted in the province of Al Ayoun, including 63 candidate consitiing of seven women competing over three seats reserved for the province, with the three aged between 21 and 66 years old.
The number of registered voters increased to 103,838 voters, including 52,245 women.
In the province of Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira, nine electoral lists are competing, includes 18 candidates, to win two seats reserved for the province, and the number of the registered voters in the electoral roll is now close to 40,000. While in the province of Es Smara eight electoral lists have been submitted to compete over two seats.
Observers affirmed that all the necessary conditions were fulfilled to ensure a good conduct of these elections, with full transparency and respect for the law in a climate of trust and responsibility.