Center party tops election for renewal of 1/3rd of upper house members

The center party, National Rally of Independents (RNI), topped the elections, held Friday in Morocco to renew one third of the Chamber of Advisors, upper house of parliament.

According to the results announced Friday night by interior minister, Ahmed El Midaoui, RNI, which participates in the center-left coalition government, gleaned 14 of the 81 seats vied for by the political parties in two of the three colleges: local councils (54 seats) and professional chambers (27 seats). The third college (wage-earners) is reserved to trade unions.

The National Popular Movement (MNP/in government) came in second with 12 seats and the National Democrat Party (PND/opposition) ranked third with 10 seats.

Here follows the ranking of all political parties according to their performance in the Friday poll:

RNI: 14 seats

MNP: 12

PND: 10 seats

Popular Movement (MP): 9 seats

Constitutional Union (UC): 8 seats

Istiqlal Party (PI): 7 seats

Social Democratic Movement (MDS): 6 seats

Front of Democratic Forces (FFD): 5 seats

Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP): 3 seats

Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS): 2 seats

Action party (PA): 2 seats

Socialist Democratic Party (PSD): 2 seats

Democracy and Independence Party (PDI): 1 seat.

In the wage-earners body, the Confederation Democratique du Travail (CDT, close to the USFP) won 4 out of the 9 seats vied for, followed by L'Union Marocaine du Travail (UMT) 2 seats, L'Union Generale des Travailleurs du Maroc (UGTM) 2 seats and l'Union Nationale des Travailleurs du Maroc (UNMT) 1 seat.