News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

Moderate Moroccan Islamists win election

Posted: 08 Oct 2016 06:46 AM PDT

Morocco's moderate Islamists have won parliamentary elections, beating a rival party critics say is too close to the royal palace in a tight race.

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Rabat - Morocco's moderate Islamists have won parliamentary elections, beating a rival party critics say is too close to the royal palace in a tight race that will complicate negotiations to form a coalition government.

The government has only limited powers, but Friday's ballot for the House of Representatives was a test for the constitutional monarchy five years after Mohammed VI devolved some authority to ease protests for democratic change.

After five years in government, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 125 seats while the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) party took 102, according to final results announced by the interior minister on Saturday.

The conservative Istiqlal party took 46 seats.

Under Morocco's system no party can win an outright majority in the 395-seat parliament and the winner must form a coalition government.

The king, who retains most executive power, chooses a premier from the winning party, but building a coalition promises to be tough for the PJD.

With its main rival PAM scoring high and ruling out an alliance, the Islamists potentially need to partner with at least three other parties to secure a majority.

Since being appointed prime minister in 2011, PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane has pursued economic reforms to reduce the budget deficit and tackle subsidies. The PJD has been popular for its anti-corruption message.

“The PJD has proven today that being serious and truthful ... and being faithful to the institutions, especially the monarchy, is a winning currency,” Benkirane told reporters.

PAM, founded by a close friend of the king who is now a palace adviser, had presented itself as a liberal alternative to Islamists. Critics say it was used by the royal establishment, always uncomfortable with sharing power with Islamists, to roll back PJD influence.

“We were expecting more seats but ... our modernist project has done well despite all attacks,” Khalid Adnoun, PAM spokesman said. “There will be no alliance with PJD. If they get their coalition, we will be in the opposition”.

During its early years in office, the PJD was in coalition with Istiqlal, but the conservative partner dropped out in 2013, it said, to protest over economic reforms that hit Moroccan spending power.

That makes another PJD alliance with Istiqlal tricky.

A fourth party, the centre-right National Rally of Independence or RNI - part of the outgoing coalition and which won 37 seats in Friday's ballot - has also ruled out another partnership with the Islamists.

Other smaller parties are highly fragmented and only secured a few seats.

When protests erupted in 2011, the king called a referendum on a constitutional reform ceding some powers to the elected government and guaranteeing more rights. He also increased social spending and used security forces to curb protests.

Since then, Moroccan leaders have presented the kingdom as a model for economic stability and gradual change and a welcome target for foreign investment in a region where violence and political upheaval have become the norm.

The PJD is one of the only remaining Islamist parties leading a government after such parties took power following the Arab Spring revolts that toppled long-standing leaders in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia.

But Morocco's main Islamist opposition group, Justice and Spirituality, and left-wing organisations, which led protests for change in 2011, have boycotted elections in protest over the king's tight grip on power.

Campaigning for Friday's vote was tarnished by accusations that the royal establishment was unfairly backing PAM though the interior ministry organisation of the poll. Palace officials denied any favouritism.

Hours before polls closed on Friday, the PJD accused local officials under the control of the interior ministry of trying to influence voters at the polls. The ministry has dismissed some claims but said it would investigate others.

Reuters

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Stepmom’s death slap

Posted: 08 Oct 2016 12:19 AM PDT

Less than 24 hours after arriving on tropical Mauritius, a dad lost his daughter and his wife following a vicious altercation between the two.

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Johannesburg - It was supposed to be a once-in-a lifetime holiday in Mauritius for Mike Vosloo and his family. But less than 24 hours after arriving on the tropical island, the Springs dad lost his daughter and his wife following a vicious altercation between the two.

His wife Marietjie appeared in a Mauritian court this week charged with manslaughter for causing the death of her 17-year-old step-daughter Mundolene.

In a Facebook post, a grieving Mike revealed what unfolded at the Riu Hotel in Le Morne on Wednesday where the family was staying.

“I am devastated and my world has been torn apart. I haven’t slept and I cry all the time. I can’t believe my beautiful child is gone. I miss her. My children were so excited for the trip.”

Mike wrote that his wife Marietjie had been “moaning” at Mundolene since they arrived at the 4-star hotel on Tuesday. “I told Mundolene to be quiet and to not talk back. I was trying to prevent a fight.”

“She did as I said and avoided conflict. My two sons and I told Marietjie countless times to leave Mundolene alone.

“Then they argued at the swimming pool and Marietjie threw a glass at Mundolene in front of other guests.”

“Marietjie then went to the room, while Mundolene and my son, Miguele, stayed behind. Later Marietjie shouted at our son, Marnuwico, and told him he couldn’t swim any more and to go to the room with her.” Mike then went to their room a few minutes later and urged his wife to stop causing a scene.

“I told her if she didn’t stop I was going to put a stop to the holiday and we were going to go home. She was so angry and stormed out of the room.”

A few minutes later Miguele, came rushing to the room for help.

“I was told that Marietjie had hit Mundolene in the face and she had collapsed on the floor.

“When I arrived, the resort doctor was already busy with Mundolene. They took her to a medical centre, where they worked on her for 30 minutes but she died.”

Now Mike’s wife is locked up in a Mauritian jail and his daughter’s body lies in a morgue as police continue their investigation into her death.

A post-mortem was conducted on Thursday afternoon. According to the doctors, Mundolene had died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Marietjie, who has been a pharmacist for 34 years, appeared in the Bambous District Court and told police that she had slapped the “bad-tempered” teenager, who was later found on the floor.

Police say it is too early to say when the remaining family members would be allowed to return to South Africa.

“This will depend on the inquiry officers. Of course, anybody who witnessed what happened at the hotel their statement and their testimony is crucial ” Mauritius police spokesperson Inspector Shiva Coothen told the media on Friday .

Coothen added that one of the teen’s siblings had seen the altercation and could be a key witness when police recreate the crime scene.

Mundolene’s aunt Yolande Smuts told YOU magazine on Friday that the Hugenote Hoërskool pupil’s family at home were still in the dark about what happened.

“We have no clue what’s going on! It’s terrible not to know,” she said.

Mundolene’s biological mother and stepfather are believed to have travelled to the holiday island on Friday.

Messages of condolence have been pouring in on social media for Mundolene.

Her boyfriend Tyron Bothma from Joburg wrote on Facebook: “I’m going to miss you so much. But now you’re with Jesus. I’m so thankful for the time we had together.”

The principal of the Hoërskool Hugenote, Frans Styger, also paid tribute to Mundolene. “She was a neat and spontaneous girl. (Her death) is a loss to the school, our deepest condolences to her parents and brothers.”

Saturday Star

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