PAM party leads local elections, turnout at 52.4%

    "The turnout was very encouraging," Chakib Benmoussa told reporters in a press briefing on the final results of the polls that drew over 7 million out of the 13,360,000 voters.

    PAM, Morocco's largest opposition party, which was founded in mid 2008, harvested 6,015 seats, advancing the government coalition leader, Istiqlal (Independence) Party, which won 5,292 seats, that is 19% of total seats.

    The third place went to the National Rally of Independents (RNI, government), with 4,112 seats (14%), followed by the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP, government), which won 3,226 seats (11.6%), and the opposition Popular Movement (2,213 seats - 8%).

    The Islamist opposition party, Justice and Development (PJD) won 1,513 seats, that is 5.4%, while the Constitutional Union (UC-opposition) got 1,307 seats (4.7%), and the Progress and Socialism Party (PPS, government) gained 1,102 seats, which represents 4% of seats.

    These eight political parties have shared 90% of seats and collected 84% of votes.

    Local elections were marked by a substantial increase in the number of women elects in Morocco's communes, Benmoussa said. 3,406 out of 20,458 women candidates won seats, compared with 127 female elects in 2003,  that is a 250% increase.

    The results also showed that 18% of the winners are under 35, up from 16% in 2003.  51% of the men and 71% of the women elects hold secondary or higher education level.

    The local elections were followed by international observers, who affirmed that the voting process took place in "ideal" conditions.

    Authorities received 1,767 complaints, that is an average of 8 complaints per 100 constituencies, official figures said.