Chamber:
	Majlis Nawab
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	14 November 1997
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats of the new House of Representatives provided for by legislation adopted in August 1997
Background and outcome of elections:
	General elections for the former unicameral Parliament of 333 members (222 directly elected, 111 indirectly elected) previously took place in June and September 1996. In September 1996, a constitutional amendment to replace the existing unicameral legislative system by a bicameral one was approved by popular referendum. In August 1997, the House of Representatives unanimously adopted two laws concerning the running and organisation of elections for the two Houses. The same month, King Hassan II announced that polling would be held later in the year and that alternating majorities («alternance ») in Parliament were desirable. For the Lower House elections on 14 November, some 3,300 candidates (including 69 women) and 16 parties vied for the 325 seats at stake. The main contestants could be divided into three blocs: the right-wing and pro-Government Wifaq (comprising the Constitutional Union (UC), the Popular Movement (MP) and one other party), the opposition Koutla (comprising the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), the Istiqlal and two other parties), and the three-party Centre bloc led by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Democratic and Social Movement (MDS). Also in the running was one moderate Islamic party, the Constitutional and Democratic Popular Movement (MPCD). After a two-week campaign, polling day saw a turnout of 58%. None of the three blocs gained an absolute majority (163) of the seats, with Koutla winning 102 and thus narrowly topping Wifaq. Among individual parties, the USFP - led by Mr. Abderrahmane Youssoufi with a programme based on « modern socialist principles » - came in first with 57 seats. Mr. Youssoufi was named Prime Minister on 4 February.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (14 November 1997): Elections results
Number of registered electors	12,790,631
Voters	7,456,996 (58.3%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	1,085,366
Valid votes	6,371,630

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
Koutla bloc	1,186	2,183,247	34.27
Wifaq bloc	604	1,577,502	24.76
Centre bloc	726	1,740,204	27.31
Constitutional and Democratic Popular Movement (MPCD)	140	264,324	4.14
Democratic Forces Front (FFD)	217	243,275	3.81
Democratic Socialist Party (PSD)	231	188,520	2.95
Action Party (PA)	92	89,614	1.40
Democratic Party for Independence (PDI)	78	76,176	1.19
Movement for Democracy (MD)	14	8,768	0

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Koutla bloc	102
Wifaq bloc	100
Centre bloc	97
Constitutional and Democratic Popular Movement (MPCD)	9
Democratic Forces Front (FFD)	9
Democratic Socialist Party (PSD)	5
Action Party (PA)	2
Democratic Party for Independence (PDI)	1
Movement for Democracy (MD)	0

Comments:

The Koutla Bloc includes: Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) -57 seats Istiqlal Party (PI)-32 seats Party of Renewal and Progress (PRP)-9 seats Organisation of Democratic and Popular Action (OADP)-4 seats The Wifaq Bloc includes: Constitutional Union (UC)-50 seats Popular Movement (MP)-40 seats National Democratic Party (PND)-10 seats The Center Bloc incudes: National Rally of Independents (RNI)-46 seats Democratic and social Movement (MDS)-32 seats National Popular Movement (MNP)-19 seats

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	323
Women:	2
Percent of women:	0.62