(9 Sep 2007)
1. Exterior of Interior Ministry
2. Moroccan flag
3. Tracking shot of Chakib Benmoussa, Moroccan Minister of the Interior, walking
4. Cutaway of cameraman at news conference at Interior Ministry
5. Various of start of news conference
6. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Chakib Benmoussa, Moroccan Minister of the Interior:
"The turnout was 37 percent."
++FULL TRANSLATION NOT AVAILABLE++
7. Cutaway of cameraman
8. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Chakib Benmoussa, Moroccan Minister of the Interior:
"The Istiqlal Party has won 52 seats, with 16 percent, in second position the Justice and Development Party with 47 seats, with 14 percent, Popular Movement: 43 seats, with 13 percent, the National Rally of Indepencence: 38 seats, with 12 percent, Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP): 36 seats, with ten percent."
9. Wide of news conference
10. Allal Al-Fassi, leader of Istiqlal party being congratulated by officials and politicians at Interior Ministry
11. SOUNDBITE: (French) Allal Al-Fassi, leader of Istiqlal party:
"We have been modest. Each time they were giving declarations, the PJD (Justice and Development Party) was saying 'We will win 80 seats, we will win 70 seats, we are the first, we will have the prime minister'. We haven't said anything because we are confident and patient to see what the Moroccan people have to say."
12. Officials standing outside Interior Ministry
STORYLINE:
Voters in Morocco deprived an Islamist party of an expected parliamentary victory on Friday, handing it instead to the conservative Istiqlal party, according to preliminary results announced on Saturday.
The results of Friday's vote - marred by a record-low turnout of 37 percent - meant continuity for this North African kingdom, which is an important US ally in the Arab Muslim world.
In a surprisingly strong showing, Istiqlal, of the ruling government coalition, won 52 seats in the lower house of parliament, Interior Minister Chakib Benmoussa said.
The Islam-inspired Justice and Development Party, or PJD, whose growing strength in recent years had worried its secular rivals, had 47 seats.
Final authority rests with King Mohamed VI, who will name a prime minister based on the election results.
The prime minister will then name a government, likely to be a grand and awkward coalition that would include the PJD for the first time.
The centre-left Socialist Union of Popular Forces, or USFP, which won the last elections in 2002 and ruled together with Istiqlal, dropped to fifth place with 36 seats.
The centrist Popular Movement and RNI parties were in third and fourth, with 43 and 38 seats.
A dizzying total of 23 parties and five independents will serve in the new parliament, Benmoussa said.
The PJD accused the ruling secular parties of appealing to voters with hasty public works projects - and even buying votes - to thwart its predicted victory.
But the interior minister insisted the vote was "transparent" and "clear." He acknowledged several irregularities, including people voting twice in different districts, but said such incidents were "limited."
Speaking to AP Television, Istiqlal party leader Allal Al-Fassi said the virtue of his party was modesty in the run-up to the election.
"The PJD (Justice and Development Party) was saying 'We will win 80 seats, we will win 70 seats, we are the first, we will have the prime minister�' We haven't said anything because we are confident and patient to see what the Moroccan people have to say," said Al-Fassi.
Istiqlal bolstered its parliamentary representation by four seats, while the PJD gained five seats.
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