Casablanca: Moroccans began voting on Friday in parliamentary elections. Here are some facts about the polls.
Who is taking part?
Thirty-three political parties and dozens of independent candidates are competing for seats in the 325-member lower chamber of parliament.
The main parties
Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP): This party is focused on gradual social reform and has toned down demands for a new constitution.
Istiqlal (Independence Party): The party has a conservative, nationalist agenda. It played a key role in the fight for independence.
Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD): The party draws on a popular perception that too many government officials are corrupted by power and money.
The last Parliament
The last Parliamentary elections were held in September 2002, where 22 parties won seats in the 325-seat lower house. The PJD became the third largest group in parliament behind the USFP and Istiqlal.
The fourth-largest party was the centre-right National Independent Rally (RNI) which had 41 members in the Chamber of Representatives.
A further 11 parties got under 10 seats each.
