At stake in this election:

• 325 seats in the Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: King MOHAMED VI
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Abderrahmane YOUSSOUFI
• Assembly: Morocco has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the Chamber of Counselors with 270 seats and the Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants) with 325 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The King is hereditary.
• The Prime Minister is appointed by the monarch.
• In the Chamber of Counselors 270 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 9-year terms*. In the Chamber of Representatives (Chambre des Représentants), 295 members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms and 30 members are reserved for women to serve 5-year terms.**

* Members are elected indirectly by local councils, professional organizations, and labor syndicates. One-third of the members are renewed every 3 years.

** 295 members are elected in 95 multi-seat constituencies. The thirty reserved seats are from a national list of women.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP)
  • Leader: Abderrahmane YOUSSOUFI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 50
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 57
• Party: Istiqlal Party (IP)
  • Leader: Abbes EL-FASSI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 48
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 32
• Party: Party of Justice and Development (PJD)
  • Leader: Dr. Abdelkarim KHATIB
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 42
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 9
• Party: National Rally of Independents (RNI)
  • Leader: Ahmed OSMAN
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 41
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 46
• Party: Popular Movement (MP)
  • Leader: Mohamed LAENSER
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 27
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 40
• Party: National Popular Movement (MNP)
  • Leader: Mahjoubi AHERNDANE
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 18
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 19
• Party: Constitutional Union (UC)
  • Leader: Mohamed ABIED
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 16
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 50
• Party: Democratic Forces Front (FFD)
  • Leader: Thami KHIARI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 12
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 9
• Party: National Democratic Party (PND)
  • Leader: Abdellah ELKADIRI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 12
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 10
• Party: Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS)
  • Leader: Ismail ALAOUI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 11
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 9
• Party: Democratic Union (UD)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 10
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: N/A
• Party: Social Democratic Movement (MDS)
  • Leader: Mahmoud ARCHANE
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 7
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 32
• Party: Democratic Socialist Party (PSD)
  • Leader: Aissa OUARDIGHI
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 6
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 5
• Party: Democratic Party for Independence (PDI)
  • Leader: Abdelwahed MAACH MAACH
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 2
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: 1
• Party: Others
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this Chamber of Representatives election: 23
  • Seats won in last Chamber of Representatives election: N/A

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections were last held November 14, 1997.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 29,535,591 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 13,884,467 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 14,928,538 (2002)

·         Is Morocco a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Morocco ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (21 June 1993)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes 

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 35 (following the 2002 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 126 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Morocco a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Morocco ratified CRPD: Yes (8 April 2009)

·         Population with a disability: 4,430,338 (est.)