CAIRO Ñ An Islamic fundamentalist party advocating the adoption of Sharia or Islamic law has recorded major gains in
Moroccan parliamentary elections.
The Islamic Justice and Development Party said it won 45 out of 325
seats in the Moroccan legislature. The government said unofficial results
showed the party gaining 37 seats.
Sharia includes calling on women to wear veils, the amputation of the hands of
thieves and a ban on alcohol.
The Islamist party had 14 seats until Friday's elections, Middle East Newsline reported. The Islamic
movement is now said to be the third largest political party in parliament.
The conservative Independent Party and the Socialist Union have the greatest
number of seats in the legislature. Voter turnout was reported at about 55
percent.
The government, citing technical difficulties, has delayed issuing
formal results of the election. The official results are expected to be
released in Rabat on late Sunday.
Muatasem Gamei, the director of the Islamist party's elections campaign,
said the gains reported exceeded all expectations. Earlier polls showed that
the party would double its representation in parliamentary elections.
Islamic leaders did not rule out the prospect of the Islamic
fundamentalist party joining a government coalition led by the Independents.
They said the fundamentalists would not join any socialist-led coalition.
The Islamic victory came amid a crackdown by Morocco against those
connected to Al Qaida and aligned insurgency groups. At one point, more than
1,000 people were arrested and books and publications that expressed support
for Islamic holy war against the West were confiscated.
