Moroccan general election, 1963

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politics and government of
Morocco
Judiciary

Parliamentary elections were held for the first time in Morocco on 17 May 1963. They followed the approval of a constitution in a referendum the previous year. The result was a victory for the pro-Monarchy Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions (FDIC), which won 69 seats. However, the two main opposition parties, the Istiqlal Party and the National Union of Popular Forces, won exactly the same number of seats.[1] Voter turnout was 71.8%.[2] However, in November the Supreme Court annulled the results of several seats won by the opposition. By-elections held in January 1964 gave the FDIC control of Parliament,[3] which was eventually dissolved by King Hassan II in 1965.

Indirect elections to the House of Councillors were held on 12 October, with the FDIC winning 102 of the 120 seats.[4]

Electoral system

The 120 members of the House of Councillors were elected by three electoral colleges; members of provincial and prefectural assemblies elected 80 members, professional bodies elected 35 members (of which industrial workers elected 14, farmers elected 16 and craftsmen elected 5) and business councils elected five.[4]

Results

House of Representatives

Party Votes % Seats
Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions1,159,93234.869
Istiqlal Party1,000,50630.041
National Union of Popular Forces751,05622.528
Moroccan Communist Party2,3450.10
Independents421,47912.66
Invalid/blank votes113,221
Total3,448,539100144
Registered voters/turnout4,803,65471.8
Source: Nohlen et al.

House of Councillors

Party Assembly
members
Industrial
workers
Farmers Craftspeople Business
councils
Total
Votes%Seats Votes%Seats Votes%Seats Votes%Seats Votes%Seats Votes%Seats
Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions 74 9 16 3 0 102
Istiqlal Party 3 4 0 2 0 9
General Union of Moroccan Workers 0 0 0 0 3 3
Others 0 0 0 0 2 2
Independents 3 1 0 0 0 4
Invalid/blank votes376203020209655
Total9,90110080259100142361001620410051,554100512,154100120
Registered voters/turnout11,61085.528192.231275.622590.73,18848.715,61677.8
Source: Sternberger et al.

References

  1. Maghraoui, AM Democratization in the Arab World?: Depoliticization in Morocco Journal of Democracy, Volume 13, Number 4 October 2002
  2. Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p634 ISBN 0-19-829645-2
  3. Ketterer, JP From one chamber to two: The case of Morocco Journal of Legislative Studies, Spring 2001, vol. 7, no. 1, pp.135-150
  4. 1 2 Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1978) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Zweiter Halbband, p1315
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