Moroccan parliamentary election, 1963
Encyclopedia
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. Voter turnout was 71.8%.
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
, which was eventually dissolved by King Hassan II
in 1965.
Constitution of Morocco
The first Constitution of Morocco was adopted in 1962, 6 years after the country regained independence. Since this event, the king, Mohamed V worked for the establishment of political and constitutional institutions...
in a referendum
Moroccan constitutional referendum, 1962
A referendum on a new constitution was held in Morocco on 7 December 1962. It was the first national-level vote in the country, and only the second election ever following local elections in 1960. Despite only being announced on 18 November, and facing a boycott campaign from the National Union of...
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
Istiqlal Party
The Istiqlal or Independence Party is a political party in Morocco...
and the National Union of Popular Forces
National Union of Popular Forces
The National Union of Popular Forces was founded in 1959 in Morocco by Mehdi Ben Barka and his entourage, because they found that the Istiqlal Party - which had led the independence struggle - wasn't radical enough.Espousing socialist policies, the party took a strongly critical line towards the...
, won exactly the same number of seats. Voter turnout was 71.8%.
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
Parliament of Morocco
The Parliament of Morocco is located in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.- Composition :Since 1996, the national legislature has become bicameral and has therefore two parliamentary chambers:...
, which was eventually dissolved by King Hassan II
Hassan II of Morocco
King Hassan II l-ḥasan aṯ-ṯānī, dial. el-ḥasan ettâni); July 9, 1929 – July 23, 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999...
in 1965.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions | 1,159,932 | 34.8 | 69 |
| Istiqlal Party Istiqlal Party The Istiqlal or Independence Party is a political party in Morocco... |
1,000,506 | 30.0 | 41 |
| National Union of Popular Forces National Union of Popular Forces The National Union of Popular Forces was founded in 1959 in Morocco by Mehdi Ben Barka and his entourage, because they found that the Istiqlal Party - which had led the independence struggle - wasn't radical enough.Espousing socialist policies, the party took a strongly critical line towards the... |
751,056 | 22.5 | 28 |
| Moroccan Communist Party Moroccan Communist Party The Moroccan Communist Party was a political party in Morocco. The party was established in November 1943 on the basis of the individual communist groups that had been existing in Morocco since 1920. The founding general secretary of the party was Léon Soltane... |
2,345 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Independents | 421,479 | 12.6 | 6 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 113,221 | ||
| Total | 3,448,539 | 100 | 144 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | |||