1963 Moroccan general election explained

Country:Morocco
Next Election:1970
Election Date:17 May 1963
Election Name:1963 Moroccan general election
Seats For Election:144 seats in the House of Representatives
120 seats in the House of Councillors
First Election:yes
Ongoing:no
Heading1:House of Representatives
Party1:FDIC
Leader1:Ahmed Bahnini
Percentage1:34.8
Seats1:69
Party2:Istiqlal Party
Leader2:Allal al-Fassi
Percentage2:30.0
Seats2:41
Party3:UNFP
Leader3:Mehdi Ben Barka
Percentage3:22.5
Seats3:28
Party4:Independent politician
Percentage4:12.6
Seats4:6
Heading5:House of Councillors
Party5:FDIC
Colour5:
  1. FFD700
Leader5:Ahmed Bahnini
Seats5:102
Party6:Istiqlal Party
Leader6:Allal al-Fassi
Seats6:9
Party7:UGTM
Seats7:3
Party8:Other parties
Colour8:
  1. C0C0C0
Seats8:2
Party9:Independent politician
Seats9:4
Prime Minister
After Election:Ahmed Bahnini
After Party:FDIC

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 Councillors

PartyAssembly membersIndustrial workersFarmersCraftspeopleBusiness councilsTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%SeatsVotes%Seats
bgcolor=Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions7491630102
bgcolor=Istiqlal Party340209
General Union of Moroccan Workers000033
Others000022
bgcolor=Independents310004
align=left colspan=2Total80141655120
align=left colspan=2Valid votes9,52596.2023992.2820687.2918490.201,34586.55
align=left colspan=2Invalid/blank votes3763.80207.723012.71209.8020913.45
align=left colspan=2Total9,9011002591002361002041001,554100
align=left colspan=2Registered voters/turnout11,61085.2828192.1731275.6422590.673,18848.75
align=left colspan=18Source: Sternberger et al.

Notes and References

  1. Maghraoui, AM Democratization in the Arab World?: Depoliticization in Morocco Journal of Democracy, Volume 13, Number 4 October 2002
  2. [Dieter Nohlen]
  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. [Dolf Sternberger]