That Tunisia and Morocco so far............. 26 November 2011 Last updated at 10:16 ET http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15902703?print=true Islamist PJD party wins Morocco poll Abelilah Benkirane Abdelilah Benkirane's PJD party will be the single biggest party in the new chamber Morocco's moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) has won parliamentary elections, say officials. According to provisional results, the PJD won 80 seats in the 395-seat assembly, Interior Minister Taib Cherkaoui told a news conference. That would make it the largest party and give it the right to lead a government. The poll is part of reforms which King Mohamed VI hopes will defuse protests prompted by the Arab Spring. "We thank the Moroccans who voted for the PJD and we can only be satisfied," PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane told the AFP news agency. Mr Benkirane had earlier predicted his party would win 90-100 seats. Under a new constitution adopted in July, King Mohamed VI must now appoint the prime minister from the party which wins the most seats, rather than naming whomever he pleases. But the king still has the final say on issues of defence, security and religion. Morocco's current Prime Minister, Abbas Al Fassi, said on Saturday his nationalist Istiqlal party was ready to enter into a coalition with the PJD party. "The PJD's victory is a victory for democracy," he told Reuters. Istiqlal's provisional tally is 45 seats, according to Mr Cherkaoui. Mr Cherkaoui added that final results would be announced on 27 November. 'Strong signal' The Interior Ministry said 45.4% of the electorate had turned out to vote. About 13.5 million Moroccans are eligible to vote. Although the turnout was an improvement on the 37% who took part in the 2007 election, it was less than the 51.6% in 2002. The pro-reform February 20 movement, responsible for the protests staged just before the king announced his plans to reform the constitution, had called for a boycott of the vote. "This [low turnout] sends a strong signal to authorities that Moroccans are not buying the proposed reforms," Najib Chawki, an activist with the movement, told Reuters. "We will not give up until our demands are met," he added. The PJD hope to replicate the success of the Islamist Ennahda party in Tunisia, which won an election there last month.
the problem with having a free society is that the good guys have to win every time, the totalitarians only have to win once.
maybe you could give the membership a chance to see your threads before your shameless bumps? just saying.
You make a point... and certainly these people in Morocco and Tunisia have the right to any sort of government they choose, but I am encouraged.
Meanwhile in spit of Margot's best assurances it looks more and more like Egypt is about the join the Islamic world jihad.
Unlike you... I don't have a Magic 8 Ball.. But, if Tunisia, Libya and Morocco all reform to some sort of moderate Islamic democracy or Constitutional monarchy.. there is a very good chance that other countries involved in the Arab Spring will catch that fever too. Libya's interim PM has named a new transitional cabinet, the first step to forming an elected government. The new government is tasked with drafting a constitution and holding democratic elections by next June. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15847309
Don't bet the rent money on Libya joining the community of sane nations. Tunisia and Morocco were never the most radical Arab countries so I'm not surprised that they are not so radical now.
Nor was Libya.. You should have known that already. Under Idris from 1951 thru 1969 they had Constitution that insured rights for all and was a mix of Italian and Sharia law.
Really? The transition in Libya was much more violent than Morocco. And a high number of Libyan's were with the foreign fighters in Iraq. I think the Islamic republic that isn't radical and a threat to world peace will be the exception rather than the norm.
So what? Did you actually believe that Iraq was a threat? Iraq was crippled by two decades of war and sanctions.. They didn't have any WMDs.. unless you believe that PNAC claptrap about them trucking their weapons back and forth between Sudan and Syria instead of USING them.
Khadafi's army were all hired African mercenaries.. They had no problem killing Libyans. Most Islamic countries are not radical.. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE are not radical.. The party that won in Morocco is the Justice and Development party.. modeled after the same party in Turkey.
