Morocco elections: Islamists suffer losses as liberal parties gain ground

Preliminary results show a huge turnaround in fortunes for the RNI party as voters turn their backs on hardline ruling PJD

Morocco's liberal RNI party has won the most seats in the country's parliamentary elections, while the co-ruling moderate PJD Islamists suffered a crushing defeat, preliminary results showed.

RNI, led by billionaire agriculture minister Aziz Akhannouch, took 97 of the 395-seat parliament. Another liberal party, PAM, secured 82 seats and the conservative Istiqlal took 78 seats.