Moroccan authorities have detained the mayor of Tangier, Mounir Limouri, in connection with an investigation into alleged electoral fraud during the country’s recent parliamentary elections.
A judicial source told AFP on Monday that Limouri was placed in police custody on the orders of the public prosecutor’s office as part of an investigation into suspected electoral irregularities.
Five other people, including two officials responsible for overseeing polling stations in Tangier, have also been placed in pre-trial detention over alleged electoral fraud, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Media reports said Limouri was detained after arriving at Tangier airport from Spain, following a warrant reportedly issued in connection with alleged ballot tampering in his constituency.
A polling station official in Tangier was also arrested on election day after reportedly being found with documents allegedly intended for use in manipulating ballots.
Limouri, a member of the centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which emerged as the largest party in the election, has denied involvement in the incident.
Speaking to Moroccan news website Le360 over the weekend, Limouri said he had “no connection” with the allegations.
The arrests followed the parliamentary election in which Morocco’s ruling coalition parties secured a dominant position, although voter turnout was reported to be the lowest in two decades.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry has said a broad investigation into reports of electoral irregularities is ongoing.
The PAM won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, while the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which leads the outgoing governing coalition, secured 66 seats.
Under Morocco’s political system, the country’s next prime minister is expected to be appointed from the party that emerged with the largest number of seats.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the budget minister and president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the post.
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, the PAM’s national coordinator and current territorial planning minister and mayor of Marrakesh, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate and could become Morocco’s first woman prime minister.
