Moroccans went to the polls on Friday to elect a new parliament, five years after an Islamist-led government took office following Arab Spring-inspired protests that toppled regimes across the region.

The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) aims to fight off the liberal opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which says it wants to roll back the “Islamisation” of Moroccan society.

But the real power will remain in the hands of King Mohammad VI, the scion of a monarchy that has ruled the North African country for 350 years.

Early turnout was low at polling stations in the capital but many people said they would wait until after the main weekly Muslim prayers at midday to go and cast their vote.

“I came to carry out my duty as a citizen. Our Morocco needs a healthy democracy,” said Meriem, a woman in her 40s, after voting at a polling station set up inside King Hassan II high school in central Rabat.

“It’s good for our country. People must participate,” said Mohammad, a retiree who turned up smartly dressed.

To make life easier for the illiterate, who make up a third of Morocco’s population, the 30 parties in contention were marked on ballot papers with symbols such as a tractor or camel.

For daily newspaper L’Economiste, the vote represents “the first big democratic test of post-Arab Spring” Morocco, while the Arabic-language daily Akhbar Al-Yaoum saw it as “The Friday of the verdict.”

Polls were due to close at 1800 GMT with first results expected on Friday evening.

The PJD came to power in 2011, months after massive street protests prompted concessions from the monarchy.

A new constitution transferred some of the king’s powers to parliament, at a time when autocratic regimes were falling in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane’s PJD heads a coalition including communists, liberals and conservatives.

The party says a second term would allow it to press ahead with its economic and social reforms.

Source: AFP